Daily Devotional

Several years ago I began memorizing a verse or two of Scripture before going to bed; those which especially speak of God’s glory and greatness. It was to help me when waking up in the middle of the night. And it has. A lot.

A couple of weeks back, on a Sunday night my verses were Psalm 25:10–11, NASB.

All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

These times of waking up, using the restroom, going back to bed, and then meditating on the Scripture passage were designed to help me stay positive and go back to sleep. But there have been side benefits I had not expected. One is fervent, effectual prayer (James 5:16).

I now have a prayer cycle I often go through, praying for Lynn, my neighbors, some friends, my daughters and their families, and my extended family. Then to the church – the pastors by name and other staff, the elders by name and various other groups which are particularly my focus – Growth Group leaders, Sunday School leaders, Grandparenting team members along with others which come to mind.

It is also a time to pray for people in particular need, with whom I have made recent connections, as at the prayer table; or with whom I have initiated a conversation, like an unbeliever whom I told I liked the smell of his cigar smoke! His name is Owen, and I have now had a second encounter with him in Fig Garden.

But the evening/morning to which I am referring was so impactful to me, was so very fervent in prayer! It was a blessing to me to know that all the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth, to those of His covenant, who keep His commands! It was revelational. I saw it! I knew it!

But after David declared this, he makes a segway that seemed incongruous to me. Having declared how wonderful all the Lord’s paths are, he now suddenly does two things. One, he asks the Lord to pardon his iniquity, and that it was great iniquity! I would have thought he would say something along the lines of praise to God for putting him on these paths of lovingkindness and truth. But somehow, he was convicted of his sin, even great sin!

Then two, even more astounding to me, he asks for his great sin to be pardoned, for the sake of the Lord’s name! No reasons in David! Suddenly there was revelation of the truth that all the work of God is for the glory of His great name! I could at that moment see the full depth of the gospel that was yet to be revealed. It is all His work! It is all for the sake of His great name! Even David’s great sin! It is for His glory we serve. The Lord’s great name was greater yet than Davids’s great sin! And it was great!

Further, I began to pray through my cycle, along with several other urgent needs. What a time with Him in prayer, all while remaining in bed in the very early hours of Monday morning! I know, I had faith to know, the conviction and assurance in the Spirit to believe that I had received the very things I had asked for! Two weeks later this is still resonating, though I have moved on to other verses, as well as life and church activity.

I urge us all to remember always that it is all, all we do in Christ, all we pray over and work on, all is in the power of and to the glory of His Great Name!

What we are about is a God thing, not a man thing! We are thrown in to what we do not fully understand, and often do not like! So we must all seek His understanding ALWAYS, and go His way as directed by the Spirit. In and by His Great Name!!

Read: Psalm 25
Sing: Take the Name of Jesus With You, Lydia Baxter (Wm. H. Doane)

"New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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