Journal of thoughts, devotions, prayers for my children and grandchildren

Thursday, January 3, 2013


Psalm 145 is the perfect Scripture to be my theme for the New Year, 2013. I think I will memorize it.

This is what I will do:

v.1    I will exalt you, my God the King.
         I will praise your name for ever and ever.

v.2    Every day I will praise you
         and (I will) extol your name for ever and ever.

v.5    I will meditate on your wonderful works.

v.6    I will proclaim your great deeds.

v.21   My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.

This is why I will praise Him:

v. 3  Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

v.8  The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

v.9  The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made.

v.13  (Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom).

v.13  The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all He has made.

v.14  The LORD upholds all those who fall
         and (the LORD) lifts up all who are bowed down.

v.16  You open your hand
         and (you) satisfy the desires of every living thing.

v.17  The LORD is righteous in all his ways
         and (the LORD is) loving toward all he has made.

v.18  The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

v.19  He fulfills the desires of those who fear him.
         He hears their cry
         and (He) saves them.

v.20  The LORD watches over all who love him.
         but the wicked He will destroy.


Others also praise God:

v.4 One generation
                              will commend your works to another;
      they                  will tell of your mighty acts.
v.5                         will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty
v.6                         will tell of the power of your awesome works
v.7                         will celebrate your abundant goodness
                              and joyfully sing of your righteousness.


v.10 All you have made
                                    will praise you
        your saints
                                    will extol you.

v.11 they                      will tell of the glory of your kingdom
                                     and speak of your might.


v.21 Let every creature
                                     praise his holy name for ever and ever.


Psalm 145
I will exalt you, my God the King;
     I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you 
     and extol your name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;  his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another; 
      they will tell of your mighty acts.
They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, 
     and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They will tell of the power of your awesome work
     and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They will celebrate your abundant goodness 
     and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

All you have made will praise you, O LORD; 
     your saints will extol you.
They will tell of the glory of your kingdom 
     and speak of your might,
so that all men may know of your mighty acts 
     and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is and everlasting kingdom, 
     and your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.




Tuesday, January 1, 2013


2013 New Year's Prayer

"Tell God that you want to share His vision for your life - it will be life-changing."
                                                                                                -David Jeremiah-

From One Day At A Time devotional by William MacDonald for January 1:

"This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you." (Ex.12:2)

New Year's resolutions are good but fragile, that is, easily broken. New Year's prayers are better; they ascend to the throne of God and set answering wheels in motion. As we come tot the beginning of another year, we would do well to make the following prayer requests our own:
Lord Jesus, I rededicate myself afresh to You today. I want You to take my life this coming year and use it for Your glory. "Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee."
I pray that You will keep me from sin, from anything that will bring dishonor to Your Name.
Keep me teachable by the Holy Spirit. I want to move forward for You. Don't let me settle in a rut.
May my motto this year be, "He must increase; I must decrease." The glory must all be Yours. Help me not to touch it.
Teach me to make every decision a matter of prayer. I dread the thought of leaning on my own understanding. "I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. 10:23).
May I die to the world and even to the approval or blame of loved ones or friends. Give me a single, pure desire to do the things that please Your heart.
Keep me from gossip and criticism of others. Rather help me to speak what is edifying and profitable.
Lead me to needy souls. May I become a friend of sinners, as You are. Give me tears of compassion for the perishing.

"Let me look on the crowd as my Savior did, till my eyes with tears grow dim.
Let me view with pity the wandering sheep, and love them for love of Him."

Lord Jesus, keep me from becoming cold, bitter or cynical in spite of anything that may happen to me in the Christian life.
Guide me in my stewardship of money. Help me to be a good steward of everything you have entrusted to me.
Help me to remember moment by moment that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. May this tremendous truth influence all my behavior.
And, Lord Jesus, I pray that this may be the year of Your return. I long to see Your face and to fall at Your feet in worship. During the coming year, may the blessed hope stay fresh in my heart, disengaging me from anything that would hold me here and keeping me on the tiptoes of expectancy. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"