Pastor Stef's prayer based on Psalm 17

Lord, hear me out.
Listen when I pray.
I’m speaking from a pure heart and not trying to lie to you.
May I be made right and may you see me the way you desire me to be.
 
You search deep into my heart.
You test me as I lie in bed.
May I pass your exam and be found without sin.
 
I have committed myself to not hurting others with my words.
I have committed myself to not follow people who live only to satisfy themselves.
I want to keep myself on your path.
I want to stay as close to the mountain as possible so that I won’t slip off the edge.
 
Lord, when I speak please answer back.
Hear what I am saying.
Give me attention.
Show me how much you love?
Display your wonder and power.
Shelter me. 
 
May I remain the apple of your eye.
Don’t allow my sinful desires to creep back and bully me.
Whenever I give in to them I pay the price.
Don’t allow a heart of peace to turn calloused.
Or a mouth that wants to encourage turn arrogant.
 
Why does sin keep finding me?
I want to be surrounded by you – not by sin.
I want to hide in you – not in my sin.
 
Nothing good ever comes from giving in.
I get thrown to the ground and taste nothing but dirt.
I lose control, feel attacked, and lie in the road dying.
I don’t want to slip, but I get too close to the edge.
And when I fall over, one of my vices, waiting like a lion, pounces on me.
Once again I give up the peace of being close to you for the sorrow of getting beaten up.
 
But you are the God of resurrection.
Through the cross Jesus confronted sin and brought its army down.
Then Jesus rose from the dead and rescued me.
You crushed the devil’s head and slew him with your sword.
I’ve got much better things to live for than the pleasures of this life.
 
You cherish us and give us so many blessings.
Help me to learn my lesson and stay on your path.
 
You have forgiven my sin.
You have made me righteous.
One day I am going to be able to look into the eyes of the one who loved me so much.
When you come back and raise me from the dead I will see you for who you are.
Then I will be totally satisfied and never walk away from you again.  

Devotion by Cora Goodyear
Psalm 17
A prayer of David
 
In this prayer, David appeals to God to listen to him. He asks for God to vindicate him and see – that he resolved to restrain his tongue, kept himself from the ways of the violent, and his feet have not slipped. David asks that God show the wonder of his love, keep him as the apple of his eye and protect him from his enemies. David ends the psalm by saying that he in righteous will see God’s face and be satisfied (v15).
 
Psalm 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”
 
David prays to God about his enemies in this chapter, appeals to God to keep him as the apple of his eye and seeks refuge from him.
 
Zechariah 2:8-9 says “For this is what the Lord Almighty says: for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye. I will surely raise my hand against them…”
 
How special it is that God considers us as the apples of his eye. David appeals to God to keep him as such. He does not want his status with God to change. He wants God to know he has not slipped so that his present relationship with God remains unchanged.
 
We too need to be constantly conscious of keeping our status with God and appeal to him to help us keep our status good. We need to walk faithfully with him. We (like David) will see God’s face.
 
God has said whoever touches (or harms) us touches him and he will raise his hand against them. He is our protector and we can hide and rest in the shadow of his wings. God will hold to his promises.
 
Point: May we remain the apple of his eye.
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