When we lived in town, I would occasionally notice an uncanny quiet in the house and then realize that one of my little boys had escaped. Every Thursday was trash pick-up, and the siren song of the garbage truck often proved too strong for the will of toddler boys. Racing after a child who is wandering down the street—myself dressed only in my best approximation of “this will do”—was a harrowing experience. Since we’ve moved out to the country, my fellas are still entranced by all classes of trucks, but now they line up at the fence and shout their admiration from a safe distance.
You read what makes all the difference, though, right? It’s the fence. In town, all of Franklin, Tennessee, was open to us; it was just a matter of how far we wanted to walk. There was nothing to stop us. But the kids had to stay close to the house. Out in the country, while we only have two acres (my dream come true), they can enjoy every inch of those acres. The boundary of the fence gives them huge freedom. As long as they stay inside the fence, they are safe.
There is such a joyful freedom in boundaries. Psalm 119 celebrates the gift of God’s law by extolling the beauty and truth of God’s Word. In fact, that’s the primary focus of this psalm—celebrating God’s law and the boundaries it gives. And it’s given as prayer, which means this psalm is a treasure for teaching us how to pray prayers which delight in surrendering to God’s Word and will. God’s law hems in our lives so that when we are lured by garbage trucks, or whatever delights the world has to offer, we can see exactly how we are to respond. There is such safety in knowing where the lines are, instead of huddling close to the house, unsure of how far we can go.
Throughout this psalm, we encounter a series of refrains—“teach me your statutes,” “I love your commands,” “I do not forget your instruction”—which spill out like shouts of joy. The psalmist is so captivated by the goodness of God’s law, that he cannot help but declare it. He sings of God’s law as if were the very air he breathed. God’s law is the law of love, the law of liberty, the law of life. May we find our delight in his decrees! May it frame our every thought, our every breath.
R. C. Sproul calls the law the “school of righteousness.” Within this school, we learn what pleases God and what offends Him. What a severe joy and a mercy it is to have God’s law, to know where to set our sights, where our boundaries lie, and enjoy the wide freedom within His gates.
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74 thoughts on "A Prayer for Delighting in God’s Word"
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I have so much to learn!
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I want to print this and have it on my wall. “Gods law is the law of love, law of liberty and law of life.” I want to hold on to this to strengthen self control
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Praying that I am able to see the boundaries not as restrictions but as clear instructions of love
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Gods goodness is incomparable ❤️
Great words
God’s law is love! Love Him above all else and love others as ourselves!!! Everything falls into these two categories!!! How light the burden became when l realized this beautiful truth!!!!
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O I love that!
What a gift from our gracious Father!❤️
So beautiful is God’s law. It’s not to contain or suffocate us. Instead, it is to guide us and give us so much freedom.
How can a young person live a clean life? I’ve asked myself that question a million times. I never knew it was addressed in the Bible. Love this psalm!
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Love this!
Oh how I feel like this Psalmist. I long to be closer to the Lord. Like Becky Kortman said “ God’s Word is balm for my wounds”. He soothes me when I’m anxious & provides for my needs. I love these words of God.
Amen!
Thank you for your prayers about my daughter’s MRI scans. Praise the Lord they continue to be clear. We will take her back in March. Today we bring her 4 hours to her dorm so continued prayers for her as she transitions greatly appreciated.
Wow, yes the school of God’s word. We learn what pleases Him. I love that. When I feel like wandering, Lord show me th dence.
God’s Word is balm for my wounds.
Amen
Lord you are great!
This study hits me right where it should every day. I love that God provides the Word that we need at the exact right time. His timing is certainly always best. I’ve been asking God for the discipline to be more in His Word and spend more time in prayer. He’s making that easy by providing the Romans study and now this study on prayer.
I pray for each of your requests as I come to them. CATHERINE – I am praying for your peace as you begin this journey. I pray for God’s comfort to allow you to sleep and rest. And I pray for your treatment team, that God will give them wisdom to choose the best treatment plan to lead to healing. I hope you get an oncologist who is a Christian. When I worked in a hospital, I was moved by the number of physicians who were believers and who would join with the patient and family in prayer.
Foster Mama, thank you for continuing to pray for me! Your prayers are still very much needed as I am still facing an absolute mess at work- another key team member is leaving and his absence only adds to my unsustainable workload until a replacement is found. Thank you all for praying for me
Katie L this is very interesting. I have been spending a lot of time recently thinking about false gods. It’s easy to look at the ancient Greeks and think “how could you worship Aphrodite?”, but then fail to see how the time spent making o e self look “picture perfect” out of vanity is essentially the same thing. Or worshipping one’s own intellect and career (instead of Athena, for another example). I love todays reading and agree with all the comments expressed here.
@RACHEL FROM TEXAS-praying that your biopsy went well today
@all praying for the other numerous requests mentioned today.
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Help me to always want to do what please you Lord. ❤️
Amen and praise the Lord!
Prayers to you both and Amen
This one is deep
I am not someone who likes or adheres to boundaries. Tell me I can’t and I usually will. Lol. Thankfully the Lord has been working on me in this area!! V 20 “I am continually overcome with longing for your judgments”. That is the heart posture I am praying for.
@Mari V. I love summer mornings too! There is truly no better way to start the day then a nice calm cool morning. We only get these for about 3-4 months before it gets cold and yucky. Happy Thursday sweet she’s! Praying for you all.
I remember reading somewhere about how other “gods” of this time did not give instruction on how to be worshipped or pleased so their followers were left to try and guess what might please them. How generous and loving of God to give us His perfect instruction.
Good afternoon, Shes. Echoing what @FOSTER MAMA said, I am praying your requests as I read them this afternoon. Thank you so much to all of you for being so faithful and prayer for me and for all of us. It means so much, and I know God hears us just as he heard the psalmists we’ve been reading from this week. Thank You, Father, so much that you hear us. We need you every hour.
Good Morning–I can’t even remember if I have commented yet!? Being sick, I have brain fog apparently! I had a really rough night that seemed endless, but feeling somewhat better today. Prayers still appreciated!
@Mari V- You make me smile and laugh because I too am the weird one that loves hot!! I have lived in South Fort Meyers for the last 4 years, and it’s my dream! It has been a wicked hot summer, but I don’t like any weather under 72 degrees! We go north back to Chicago land for 2 weeks soon, and most likely it will be warm days, but chilly nights in the 60’s and I am not going to like it! lol
My memorization for this month is Proverbs 16:20
“Those who listen to instruction will prosper; Those who trust the Lord will be Joyful.”
JENNIFER PALUMBO – Great comment on boundaries.
BLESS BETH – I donated my kidney to my son. It was a great experience. It truly is amazing how we can give someone back their lives through donation. Prayers
TINA – Once again, thank you for a beautiful comment.
I’m behind because we had guests in the mountains. Too much commotion to really focus on my studies. But with that said, I was definitely in God’s country! So much beauty all around us.
There is life in God’s word. If only I can keep it and not wander from it. I have never been as close to God as I was before and after Tanner died. I want that closeness at all times, yet not the circumstances that lead up to it. I pray for the craving to stay and that I will seek out God daily.
Prayer requests for a special young man with Cystinosis. He is having trouble with swallowing and choking. Has sepsis. All this took Tanner’s life and I’m so troubled for this man, Brandon. It is so hard to hear this illness possibly taking another life. He has a wife and two adopted daughters. Please please pray for him and his family.
Some comments from my NIV study bible on Psalm 119:
An unknown author who was
1.) Passionately devoted to the word of God.
error
*prayer requests (not “partners requests”…heehee but perhaps that too!!)
@ RACHEL FROM TEXAS, praying all your desires re: the biopsy.
@TAYLOR, @VICTORIA E, @KELLY(NEO), @MERCY, @SEARCHING,@ERB, @MICHELLE PATIRE and all who have partners requests… praying for you.
@THERESA, thank you for hearing my aching mama heart
@EACH of us who feel powerless to change certain relationships or aspects of a relationship… praying
The words that popped out to me in today’s reading: “all their heart”, “fully obeyed”, “open my eyes”, “teach me”, “let me understand”, “strengthen me”. It was the desire of the writer to know God more, to know Him intimately, to learn of Him. May this be my daily prayer. No matter how old we are or how long we have been saved, there is always, always, room to learn and grow, to be strengthened – and to have our eyes opened to see the wonderful things of His law! Lord God may I ever be learning and living out Your word. Open my eyes (daily) that I may see wonderful things in Your law, and may I hide your word in my heart so that I might not sin against You.
Blessings to all today – praying for all your requests!
Today’s scriptures brought me to Deuteronomy 5:32-33 “So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.”
May we keep our eyes fixed on You, praising You and following You with everything we have in us, and in all that we do!!! Thank You Father for broadening our understanding, for calling us up to a holier way of living & existing. Thank You for Your amazing faithfulness and for Your Way!! You are The Way, The Truth, The Life. May we dwell in that and in You!! Amen.
My granddaughter, Lilly age 4) had her tonsils and adenoids removed this morning. All went well and now praying for a smooth recovery.
Prayers for Rachel from Texas, Bless Beth’s niece, and so many others.
Hugs and blessings to all! ❤️
I LOVE mornings! Especially, summer mornings! I love the coolness yet it’s still kind of sort of warm, especially here in California. There have been mornings this week when it’s already been close to 80°, but I’m the weird kind of gal as I love heat especially Summer. This is my special time, just me and Jesus. When I read that Rebecca Farris had written this devotional, I was so excited. I’m fascinated with how God uses her to produce an amazing devotional and how she talks about her family. Verses 10-11 in today’s reading spoke to me the most. “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Though I am a sinful person(saved by grace), know that I can approach the throne, my Jesus, and asked to be forgiven, because that is our God! Good Morning and Happy Thursday SWEET She’s!!!
Oh my goodness! I am so amazed at Gods word and his answered prayers. On Wed. I surrendered my marriage (again). That evening, I was able to articulate why I felt what I felt to my husband. He didn’t receive it well but God spoke to my ❤️ about boundaries and comforted me in knowing I was kind. Before looking at todays reading, I prayed a prayer of thankfulness, answered prayers, and boundaries. Psalm 119 so spoke to my ♥️. Then the devo on boundaries…. I love when I can see God so clearly.
I’m thankful for the boundaries that God sets for us. It is not restrictive but freeing!
Just like our children need structure and boundaries. We also need laws and boundaries. God set them all in place for a reason and sometimes I need remind of them when I get off path. I love this study, so far my favorite!!
That’s crazy. I was just texting a friend yesterday and telling her that sometimes the Lord can feel cruel for keeping me so close to home. I watch my close family members go on vacation together, while I am at home, obeying the Lord. I watch my siblings move in with their bf/gfs- while I obey the Lord and wait for a husband. I want to visit my friends out of state, but my car is needed for work and not doing well- so I obey the Lord and stay near home.
I gotta admit, even after this devotional, I still feel pained by the boundary lines. I don’t necessarily NEED those things. But the waiting and hurting is hard. @Tina, I so appreciate your story this morning about that sewing picture God gave you. Gosh, is that for real.
I read a quote the other day by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” The sewing into the heart and piercing the flesh is a real thing. We are called to die daily.
Maybe my waiting period seems miniscule to others, but to me, it feels very grueling at times. To sit and tell myself I am doing God’s will when others think I should be living my life more fully. Sometimes you look straight up boring or foolish, as a Christian, to even other “Christians”!
@Rhonda J- praying for your pain. May God keep you focused on Him and give you much comfort.
@ladies who shared their stories of adultery – God bless you. I am so sorry. God is your faithful husband. I can’t say I have suffered in this way, but as a single adult I at least understand it is hard to be alone. May the Lord open your eyes to the blessing of the Body surrounding you and may you be near to them. So that the “lonely” doesn’t feel so alone. <3
@Teachers/School Staff God bless you in your new school year, thinking of you :)
Psalm 119 is a Scripture I have spent the last year memorizing. I'm currently up to verse 92. It is dear to my heart and teaches me patience.
Amen.
I’m reminded of this psalm too: The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Psalm 16:6. Sometimes they don’t feel pleasant. But as others and Rebecca mentioned they are for our good and His glory. We are in the process of prepping our chicken coop – we need a closed in area for them to graze for protection for local hawks and raccoons, etc. This boundary is for their good!! May I think of this each time I see the coop.
Today is biopsy day – if you don’t mind please pray it is nothing to be concerned about & for a quick, easy & relatively painless procedure. TIA!
Lord keep me in your boundaries today.
Rebecca Faires- I love Franklin!!! We stop and eat downtown when we pass that way.
Thank you for the beautiful devo and life story/visual.
This reading is so full. I need to soak it in. So much learn from these verses! Thankful for the boundary of God’s love!!!
HL, SEARCHING – ❤
Cutting out early today as we take a short road trip with our church group. Praying for each need on each heart!
God created us all to need boundaries. I saw that so clearly as an elementary teacher for years. Students who didn’t have boundaries at home and were “handfuls” according to their parents, usually were happy and content in my structured yet fair classroom. Sometimes it took awhile, some reminding, some retraining of the rules, but they would get there. God created us to need and desire boundaries, but didn’t leave us with nothing, He gave us His Word. My heart is so stirred to know His Word even more. To meditate on it day and night.
Amen
Thankful for God’s word that is “a lamp for our feet and a light on our path” (as Tina said is in Psalm 119:105). May I continue to wake up early enough to spend this precious time delighting in God’s Word with you all, and may I use that delight to live a life of surrender to His Word and His will. Amen!
Lifting up all the prayer requests <3
What a merciful God we serve who gives us the boundary lines of His law and then so much freedom within them.
@FOSTER MAMA- praying for rest and peace for you and healing for the child in your care
@KATIE L-still praying for your court case and for the visitations between your son and ex-mother-in-law
Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
Reading the prayers in these verses, I’m reminded to praise, seek and follow the Lord, the one and only Almighty God! As the devotion pointed out, His boundaries are for our good, for our protection. In my own life, I’ve hopefully learned (many times the hard way) to see & recognize His boundaries – and to then keep a safe distance from them. Even though I could go right up to that “fence” and stay just inside, that is a dangerous place (even though still inside His boundaries) for me to be. If I’m living right up to the edge of the boundary, then I’m also living right on the edge of temptation.
CATHERINE MCVEY – thank you for allowing us the privilege of praying for you. Lord, we praise you for all you have done and can do. And so we bring Catherine’s needs and requests to you, for healing, for peace, for the perfect medical team. We pray for your comfort, guidance and strengthening for her through this journey, and may You be glorified each step of the way.
There are so many needs among my sisters here, Lord. Praying for:
LYNNE FROM AL – Gaynell’s surgery today
ANGELA VAN DYKE – healing, and thank you for the reminder to pray the prayer that never fails, God’s will be done
MERCY – your aunt and her husband, for salvation and healing, that their ears and hearts will hear Him
HEIDI – for the right camp decision for your friend’s daughter, if it’s in God’s timing
RHONDA J – healing!
EMILY – healing of health issues and guidance for infertility
KRIS – for the Lord’s comfort, strength and guidance for you, that your needs of all sorts will continue to be met
CHERYL BLOW – healing
JENNY SOMERS – for Mary Felicity, wisdom and guidance to help her with whatever she’s dealing with & reacting to
BLESS BETH – safe travels, healing of your niece’s infection and continued acceptance of the transplant
SARAH NELSON – healing of your friend’s insomnia!
COLLEEN DEVEAU – strength, healing and comfort
MARYA KAT – answers and healing
CEE GEE – great song yesterday!
TAMI C and HEATHER HICKEY – many thanks for your testimonies
How much freedom there is in God’s fence!
Amazing devotion… hit the nail on the head of how I’ve been feeling lately!! I also feel so much time has been “wasted” which has compounded the problem / pain SO much…but I hear and believe @ TINA say…
BUT GOD
(May I be convicted of that to my core.)
@ COLEEN DEVEAU, thank you for that prayer — I pray it along with you.
Please sisters pray for me that I can be patient, waiting on God related to a child I adores profound pain; please pray that, according to God’s will, I will be allowed to help heal that pain. I have cried/ not slept every night this week…and that’s not fair for others I need to care for since I have less energy and joy.
Thank you sisters. (I pray your requests as I read them.)
God, Abba, Father, Daddy, LORD, There are never right words to describe You nor who You are to me. I long for You and Your word more than anything else — Let this be true of me. My greatest desire is for more of You — Forgive me for when my life and my choices do not reflect this. Please carry me and sustain me — I so often feel too weary to go on. My heart desperately longs for home, to be with You forevermore. How much longer must I endure being here instead of being face to face with You? I’m homesick for a place I’ve never known. Show me what You want from me. Sustain me by Your word. Flood me with Your strength — I don’t have it in myself. You alone keep my heart beating. Keep me in Your love. Amen.
Todays reading of the boundary lines reminded me of the epiphany I had when we fenced in our two acres for our 4 dogs, When we moved to the country , it became very clear not long after moving in that our dogs would not DELIGHT to stay near on their own. We had one that kept wandering to the neighbors land, one that took off after a deer and almost died from a heat stroke and one that was able to open the door on her own and followed us out without us knowing. So when the fence went up, I kept telling them,,, “ but NOW your really going to be free!” DONT YOU GET IT?No more leashes to go potty, no more danger, free from coyotes, and cars, or long lonely days in the woods trying to find your way home!” But ONE dog SAT all day at the gate wanting to leave all day as if she were being punished, unable to leave the boundaries while the others lived their best life running free. ( to this day she will still find a way under the fence to visit the neighbors). I thought to myself what a loving shephard we have for our souls so prone to wander. How similar we can be in regards to Gods statutes, laws , word, counsel. This psalm is such a good reminder of the true freedom we have so that we CAN delight in the loving care that our Father has shown us by giving us his Word, written and flesh.
Yesterday I introduced a vocabulary lessons to my students, the difference between “every day” words and “academic” or as I call them, fancy words. These fancy words turn “run” into “galloped” or “said” into “gasped”. It’s a way for the author to make the story more interesting and to give the reader some hidden information. After all, “the students went down hallways” is quite different than “the students stampeded down the hallway”! All that to say, our psalmist’s word choice was on point today! I encourage you to go back and check out the powerful action words. The verb CLING stood out to me, and MEDITATE. I’ll have to go back and write them all down. TINA- your sewing image was beautiful. Thank you for sharing the visions God sends you. HEIDI- praying for your family friends and the middle school camp (you go to a Northpoint church, yes? I’m at Gwinnett Church ☺️) KAREN ROPER- every morning, your green hearts are always the first comment I see and I look forward to them daily. Thank you for your faithfulness!
I just went and read comments from yesterday and see many needs. May God please bring healing, peace, comfort, hope, provision, encounters with Him that lead to repentance and salvation. I pray that all hindrances and roadblocks be removed and for the miraculous to happen that only He can do! I ask for safety and protection too!
@ Kris, my husband had an affair too. There is a whole story of how I found out and the shock that came.Oh, the emotions that came and the pain! My friend had told me months before to get serious with God and read my Bible. Praise God for her words. I know that I wouldn’t have made it through without God, His Word, the prayers of others, and Him touching someone to text me at the right time or to be there to talk to or show me His love! I could feel the prayers. There is so much that God did for me during that time that I’m remembering right now! He is so wonderful. By His kindness, He put me in the right place and used the right people! I We were separated and it’s been very hard. I came back, but it was still hard. It took a long time! Keep clinging to Him! I’m praying for you right now!
Oh Tina your words are beautiful this week my niece had a kidney transplant and there have been so many emotion’s especially for my sister as they have traveled up to Boston from Bermuda. Louise is back in the hospital with an infection so I will be traveling to be with them for a few days. May God give the words and kindness towards everyone I meet. Words of loving encouragement to my niece and sister. I so can’t wait to be with them. May they see Jesus through me.
“What a severe joy and a mercy it is to have God’s law, to know where to set our sights, where our boundaries lie, and enjoy the wide freedom within His gates.”
So true. It is in God’s kindness that He has let us know how we can be in relationship with Him.
HEATHER HICKEY – thank you for sharing more of the situation with your sister and how it is glorifying God.
CATHERINE MCVEY – prayers for your peace of mind, comford in your pain and wisdom for you and your doctor.
HEIDI – prayers the your child’s friend wll get to go tto the camp.
JENNY SOMERS – prayers for your daughter’s emotions and for wisdom as you and your husband help her.
Some time ago, i had a picture for a friend as we prayed for each other..
The picture was of her sewing the bible onto her heart… I can still see that picture so clearly, the pain on her face of the needle piecing the flesh, her shaky hand..
If I were to interprete that.. in life there are many avenues open to us, many paths, crossroads.. listening, reading, choosing Gods word, sometimes is not easy in the world we live in.. I’m gonna say it and day it loud.. BUT GOD..
His Word, His Laws, His instructions they are the way to true joy, hope, peace.. sewing it, maybe not literally, to ones heart, takes commitment, consciousness, and true belief in our Father God..
We won’t always get it right, BUT GOD, He just needs to see us trying, making the effort, holding fast to Him and believing His Word when life gives us lemons and our path is not clear..
Further down in this Psalm (105)one of my favorite verses..
Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.
Keep reading, keep holding on to Him, keep trusting Him, for He truly is the Hope of this world and me/us.
‘Sewing’ His Word to my heart today!
AMEN.
Much love, sisters wrapped in blessings and prayers for a God blessed day…❤️
Amen