An important checklist

I prayed through some Scripture this week, pausing to pray here and there as people or circumstances came to mind. It is my favorite way to pray because my requests are springing directly from God’s Word. I like the confidence knowing such prayers are His will.

Psalm 15 is short and sweet, but perhaps because of its brevity, cuts to the core.

Read it here, then consider joining me in praying it into your life as I did mine.

Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD?

Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?

Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,

speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

Those who refuse to gossip

or harm their neighbors

or speak evil of their friends.

Those who despise flagrant sinners,

and honor the faithful followers of the LORD,

and keep their promises even when it hurts.

Those who lend money without charging interest,

and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.

Such people will stand firm forever.

Psalm 15 turned into a prayer:

Father, I am sojourning with you here on earth and will abide with you forever in heaven afterward. Help me to live a life worthy of your name in character and behavior. May I keep sin far from me and make decisions that glorify your name and honor your word. May the words of my mouth speak truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. May my heart always be sincere, always believing my words are correct or else I wouldn’t be saying them. May I speak both the truth and the Truth.

May I refuse to gossip. Refuse. Show me how to have necessary conversations about others that do not include gossip. Ever. And may I never harm a neighbor, whether in my neighborhood, church or workplace, whether in passing or in relationship. May I speak no evil about my friends, remaining worthy of their trust in my heart and mouth.

May I live a life set apart from those still refusing to try to live well, from those literally practicing sin full throttle. May I instead notice and honor faithful followers of the LORD, those people who may not be fancy or famous but who year-after-year have lived steadfastly with endurance and consistency.

May I be a woman of my word, even if it is hard to keep. May people be able to trust that if I say it, I will follow through as faithfully as I know how or am able. And when I lend money, may interest never be part of the payback terms. Returning to the topic of honesty, may I never lie about the innocent. No matter the pressure or what I may gain, may no lie ever come out of my mouth about any other human being.

In all the places I am not yet reflecting Psalm 15, protect my path toward reflecting your word. May I be more transformed this time next year than I am today. After all, I will be standing firm forever because of your salvation offered in grace, not because of anything I did. It is you who will see me to the end.

Jesus is the only perfect person to have ever lived but you have given us each a measure of perfection through the power of the Holy Spirit. I have options to live in your strength or my own. I have options to reflect your character or my flawed one. May I live as one who worships God. May I live as a daughter of the King. May I live with the confidence of one who will stand forever.

Amen.

Picture Explanation: My dog, Griffin. 

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