“Prayer is the essential activity of waiting for God, acknowledging our helplessness and His power, calling upon Him for help, seeking His counsel. So it is evident why prayer is so often commanded by God, since His purpose in the world is to be exalted for His mercy. Prayer is the antidote for the disease of self-confidence.”

John piper, Desiring God, p. 146

Daily Devotionals: Ascent’s Mission – Loving God, Loving People and Impacting Our World. Each day’s devotional will guide us through a scriptural thought based on the mission God has called us to follow. 

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Engage the Word: Loving God

Read Psalm 31:14-24

The psalmist David writes: 

¹⁴  But I trust in you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

¹⁵    My times are in your hand;

rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

¹⁶    Make your face shine on your servant;

save me in your steadfast love!

¹⁷    O Lord, let me not be put to shame,

for I call upon you;

       let the wicked be put to shame;

let them go silently to Sheol.

¹⁸    Let the lying lips be mute,

which speak insolently against the righteous

in pride and contempt.

¹⁹    Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you

       and worked for those who take refuge in you,

in the sight of the children of mankind!

²⁰    In the cover of your presence you hide them

from the plots of men;

       you store them in your shelter

from the strife of tongues.

²¹    Blessed be the Lord,

for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me

when I was in a besieged city.

²²    I had said in my alarm,

“I am cut off from your sight.”

       But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy

when I cried to you for help.

²³    Love the Lord, all you his saints!

The Lord preserves the faithful

but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

²⁴    Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord!

Connect the Heart

This is another Psalm where it appears David is being pursued by an enemy, though it is not clear as to whether it is King Saul this time. On one hand, loving God is a simple act of our faith and our will, connecting our heart with God’s heart. On the other hand, there are many facets to our relationship with God that contribute to our love for Him. In this particular Psalm, we see three aspects of David’s love for God: trust, praise and courage.

In reading the first part of Psalm 31, we see that David’s enemies are plotting against his life. His response is trust in the nature and character of God, no matter the circumstances – acknowledging that God can choose to rescue David – or not. “My times are in your hand,” David says (vv 14-15), knowing that God is always in control and can be trusted to accomplish His divine purposes for our lives.

In verses 19-22, David’s heart turns to God in praise for His goodness, His provision, His protection and His steadfast love. Even in the face of tremendous enemy attack, David says “Blessed be the LORD, for He has wondrously shown His steadfast love to me.”

The result of David’s trust in God, and the outcome of his praise and love for God, is courage (v 24). His courage is not based in what he can muster up for God, but it’s based in how God has proven Himself faithful time and time again to David. Loving God involves trusting Him with a courageous heart, which, as we grow deeper in our relationship with Him, can result more and more in praise and worship.

Reflect on the Truth

1. David was relentlessly pursued by his enemies, yet his heart was continuously turned toward God. What can we learn from the life of David and apply to our own lives?
2. Think about these three facets of David’s love for God: trust, praise and courage. With which do you most resonate in your relationship with God? Which is most difficult to relate to? Why?
3. Identify one verse in this section of Psalm 31 that most resonates with your heart toward God, and spend a few minutes reading it, reading it again, and reading it a third time. As you meditate on this one verse, what do you notice happening in your own heart toward God? Pay attention to what you’re sensing and feeling.

Depend on the Spirit

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the deeper longings, desires or motives in your heart that these thoughts are pointing to. (For example: you may write down, “Lord, I long to have a love for you like that of the psalmist David. I want to trust in you and acknowledge right now that my times are in your hand. Help me to trust you and love you even more fully.”) The Lord can help us discern the path forward – through His Word, His Spirit, and His people.

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For Prayer
As you conclude your devotional time, please pray for the men in our Ascent Church family who are attending the Men’s Retreat this weekend at Quaker Ridge Camp. Pray that these men will connect with each other relationally, and that each man would experience deeper intimacy in their personal relationship with Christ through their retreat experience this weekend. Pray also for each of the men unable to attend the retreat – to continue to grow in Christ, find fulfillment in their work, and lead well in their families as husbands and fathers. Pray in this same way for the single men of the church.

Fasting
Please read the first blog post entitled “Why Fast?” This explains what fasting is and why we follow Jesus in this spiritual discipline as together we seek the heart of God.

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 Some parts of our 21 Days devotionals are adapted using various resources on scripture and prayer like The Bible Exposition Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, The New Bible Commentary, Logos Bible Software and other resources.