How We Pray

 

When I was a child, my parents taught me to give thanks to God. For meal time, it meant saying thank you for the food on our table, and our bedtime prayers, for protection while we sleep and blessing others.

 

 

In Sunday School, at age 5 and 6, we sang those early songs of praise for creation. I remember a small friendly woman with white hair teaching us songs, with pictures on a chart to help us learn the words. Those songs were like prayers to a tune. Only we didn’t know it then.

 

Not all of the hymns we sang were about praising God though. Many were requests for help in times of trouble. And now that I think of it, I wonder if Noah asked God for protection while all that rain came down? Maybe that they’d have enough food on board for his family and all those animals, and that their ark would be kept from sinking or something worse. Noah knew God was with him in the helm, but being human, he might have been anxious sometimes as well.

The shepherd David prayed, and not all of them were thank you prayers. Many of them were about longing, asking for protection against enemies (Psalm 59), begging for wisdom for kings (Ps 72) and for an answer for himself in difficult times (Ps 13, 61).

Perhaps we don’t pray like David did, unless we sing his songs, but we do pray for protection, for wisdom in difficult times. We may also pray that others come to know God (Ps 20). Then also there are times that we show our love for God (Ps 18, 23). We do pray for others. Let’s keep saying thank you to God for answers to our prayers, and when things go well and we have something to celebrate.

We pray the corporate prayers in our services, when someone else leads and we respond. We can pray by ourselves too, as we go about our days, as we kneel in our garden, with work worn hands, or on a walk in the neighbourhood. Not all prayers need to be alone in our bedroom at night, or as we say grace before meals. Those are important too.

 Let’s not be shy about prayer. It’s not so hard, after all. We just need to remember to reach out and know that Jesus goes to the Father on our behalf.

 

 

 

https://www.carolynwilker.ca/

 

 

 

 

 

Photo permission from Julianna McKenzie for portrait photo. Other photos are my own © C. Wilker

Why Bother Blogging?

     Why bother blogging? Why learn a new writing skill? Why not stick with what you are familiar with? These questions and a dozen more flooded my mind. 

    When I returned from the 2013 Write! Canada Conference, I had a decision to make. Would I heed the advice of Kim Bangs, whose writing workshop I attended, or would I ignore her recommendation. You see, Kim Bangs, now of Baker Publishing, strongly urged all in her class to begin blogging.

    Did I want to begin blogging? No way! And no thank you.

    But the Holy Spirit might also be called a gentle whispering nag. In the days following the conference, the Spirit kept whispering, "When are you going to start that blog?"

    After a time of resistance, I finally relented.

    "Okay! I'll write that stupid blog."

    Actually, it wasn't the blog that was stupid, but the author had a lot to learn, and he needed an attitude adjustment as well. 

    I stumbled about for a while as I tried to discern a theme and purpose for my writing. Eventually, I began writing devotional posts on the Psalms. Once that decision was made, I settled into a routine writing rhythm, knocking off a daily post of consistent length. In due time, I had devotional posts for every day of the year, and all one-hundred-and-fifty psalms in the Bible—enough to fill three 265-page volumes.

    Why bother blogging? Well the answers have been coming thick and fast for a number of years now. Answers come in a variety of ways. Most often they come in the comments left by blog readers. At other times they come through words spoken directly to me, or through Amazon book reviews. 

    But perhaps the biggest answer to that question came on September 25, 2021 at The Word Guild Gala when I won the Grace Irwin Best Book of the Year Award for Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer, Volume I.

    Yes, my blog posts on the Psalms became an award-winning book with a significant cash prize attached. You never can tell where following the advice of a writing professional might take you. That's especially true if it's accompanied by the Holy Spirit's urgent prompting.

     All three volumes of Psalms 365 are available for the Christmas season. They are a great way to begin the new year. For a closer look or to purchase click here.

    
    David Kitz is the author of numerous books and the chair of The Word Guild.

How Do You See God?

 Reading: Psalm 18:25-29

To the faithful you show yourself faithful,

to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

to the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.

You save the humble

but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

Reflection
How do you see God? How do you perceive Him to be? The opening lines of today’s psalm reading tell us plainly that the state of our heart determines our perception of God. God reveals Himself to us according to the condition of our soul. Therefore, David makes this observation: To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.

The truth expressed in this straightforward observation has enormous implications for every human on the planet. Our relationship with God is shaped by our perception of Him, and our perception of Him is reflective of the state of our heart. For example, one person goes through a period of hardship and loss and becomes bitter and angry toward others and God. Another person goes through a similar period of hardship and loss, but emerges passionately in love with his Creator. How can this be?

The answer can be found in David’s observation: To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. The blameless assign no blame to God, but the sin-darkened soul blames Him for even the slightest adversity.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Do you want to see God at work in your life? Then ask the Lord Jesus to give you a pure heart. God shows Himself—becomes visible—to those with a pure heart. The pure in heart see God in the glory of the sunset, in the face of a child, in kindness of a stranger. The sin-polluted soul can view the same scene—experience the same events—and see God in none of it. He is blind to God.

Our eyes open the moment we humble ourselves before God. David’s words ring true today. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

Response: Heavenly Father, give me a pure heart. I want to see you. I want to see you, Lord Jesus, alive and active all around me today. Give me eyes that see beyond the natural and into the realm of the spirit where you are at work. Amen.

Your Turn: Did you see God today? How did He show Himself to you?

Today's blog post is an excerpt from Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by David Kitz. 

May you see God at work in your life today. 

  

 

An Early Christmas Glow

What do writers want for Christmas? Here's a hint: It's a four letter word starting with the letter b and ending with k. If you guessed a book pat yourself on the back. But writers don't want just any book for Christmas. Most of all, they want a book with their name on the front cover. Well, you might say Christmas came early to our house this year with the arrival of my newest book last week. I'm still basking in the sunrise glow. Continue reading for a quick introduction to this first volume in a three book set.

Why dig into the Psalms? The Psalms are a poetic feast for the mind, soul and spirit. In them, you will find intimacy with God. For a hundred generations, hungry souls have found nourishment there.

Psalms 365 is specifically designed to help you develop a life of worship and prayer like the biblical David. Let author David Kitz take you on a journey—a journey to a deeper understanding of God’s will and his ways for your life. Each daily reading provides insight and inspiration for practical Christian living, allowing the Good Shepherd to guide you to the center of his will.

This 265-page volume packs a punch. It's slightly larger than the standard paperback size allowing for the use of a larger font. The end result is a cover and print content that is very easy on the eyes.

In total, this volume has 120 daily readings, spanning Psalm 1 through Psalm 51. Volumes two and three will be released as 2021 progresses allowing readers to journey through the entire 150 Psalms in the span of a year, hence the title Psalms 365.

Now is an ideal time to commit to a daily, year-long, devotional journey through the Psalms. Psalms 365 is written by Word Guild award-winning author David Kitz, is published by Elk Lake Publishing, and is available through Amazon and other retailers.

Despite the difficulties, isolation, and setbacks of this year, I want to wish you a very merry Christmas and a new year that sets your heart aglow. May there be good books—inspiring books—under your tree this Christmas.

David Kitz is the chair of The Word Guild, an avid blogger, and the author of several books.

The Best Day by David Kitz

            Lately, I have been spending a lot of time in the Psalms. Throughout Psalm 84 there is a longing to be with God—a desire to be close to Him. So we hear the Psalmist declare, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere" (Psalm 84:10).

            If you were to plan for the best day in your life, what would that day include? What would it look like? How and where would you spend your best day? Would the LORD be at the center of it all?

           

Choosing the path of love - Gatineau Park, QC

          Love is at the core of every special day. Think back to some of the best days of your life—days marked by joy and excitement. If you scratch beneath the surface of those days, you will find love at the core.

         We are in fact love starved people. We need it as much as the air we breathe. Experiments have shown that the unloved, un-caressed, unspoken to baby will die, even though all its physical needs are met. So when love comes to us, we celebrate it, frolic in it, and throw a party to announce it.

        Some of the best days of my life were falling-in-love days. To think someone loved me, simply wanted to be with me, well, it put a real bounce in my step. To be more accurate, it fried all my circuits. Thinking of her made me dreadfully forgetful. I would routinely forget what I was doing mid-task. I was noted for being calm and sedate. Now suddenly, I was doing outrageous, crazy things. Love has a special way of breaking down barriers, and freeing us from inhibitions. Real love is never rational; it doesn't make sense.

               We need love. We need to receive it. We need to give it.

            In Psalm 84, it was love that brought the psalmist to the House of God. It drew him like a magnet, pulled at his heart, tugged at his sleeve, and finally ushered him through the door. Love set him on this pilgrimage. It kept his weary feet moving mile after dreary mile. When he finally reached his goal—the object of his love—in wonder, we hear him exclaim, "How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God." 

            In reality Psalm 84 is a love poem. It's all about the psalmist's quest for love. These opening lines express it best. The psalmist is thirsting for a drink from heaven's Eternal Fount of Love. He yearns, faints and cries out for the living God. He expresses all this in what any poet would call the language of love. Here we see the psalmist as the love-starved lover in search of the Divine Love of his soul.

            As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:1-2).

Saskatchewan Sunset - Photo by Donald Adam

          This hunger and thirst for love, is in fact, a recurring theme throughout the Psalms, and indeed, all of Holy Scripture. Psalm 42 begins with these words.

        Best days are days spent in pursuit of love, with the one we love. We yearn for such times. This pursuit of love is what drives the sales of a thousand romance novel titles. It is the wellspring for a million songs. It powers a large part of the movie industry. It turns Valentine's Day into a global celebration.

            The psalmist was pursuing love with the one he loved—the LORD Almighty. Have you spent time pursuing him lately? Is a day spent with Him, something you yearn for? Or, are you embarrassed by the blatant language of love that the psalmist uses here? Do hymns of praise and worship choruses bore you?

            All true worship is an act of love. It extols the virtues of the one we love, and it delights in simply being together. It unites the worshipped with the worshipper.

            Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked (Psalm 84:10).

David Kitz is the author of Psalms Alive! a devotional study of the Psalms. 

Visit http://www.davidkitz.ca/

Help in the Battles We All Face

Reading:                                                                                                                Psalm 35

 (Verses 7-10)

Since they hid their net for me without cause
    and without cause dug a pit for me,
may ruin overtake them by surprise—
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
    and delight in his salvation.
My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you, LORD?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
    the poor and needy from those who rob them.” (NIV)

Reflection

Paul the apostle reminds us that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are engaged in spiritual warfare. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6:11-13).

The Armour of God

The conflicts that David experienced in the Old Testament, reflected in the words of this portion of Psalm 35, are mirrored in the spiritual warfare experienced by New Testament believers. Make no mistake—the Devil and his cohorts have dug a pit to trap you; they spread their nets to ensnare you in sin and degradation. But as with David, the LORD has also provided a way of escape. Once again Paul reminds us of this: No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The LORD has equipped us with the armor of God and He has provided a way of escape, so then with David we can rejoice in the victory the LORD will bring.

Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
    and delight in his salvation.
My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you, LORD?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
    the poor and needy from those who rob them.” 

Satan is a thief and a robber, who robs us of victory, peace and joy. But like David and Paul we can overcome. "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25).

David Kitz is an ordained minister and Bible dramatist with the Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada: http://www.foursquare.ca/ For details on his book and drama ministry visit http://davidkitz.ca/