A Prayer to Dive Deep into God's Word
By Chelsey DeMatteis
Bible Reading
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2
As school was letting out at the end of May, I knew clearly what God's desire was for me this summer. It was to sabbath. And not just a little sabbatical, it was so take a step back from everything in life and ministry. This summer has been filled with time in prayer, time in the Word, and time just "being" with God. So often, our schedules allow for a sliver of time with Jesus, a verse here and there, and a quick prayer when we're feeling frustrated or anxious. While I don't want to diminish those moments, I also know that God wants more for us and offers more for us when it comes to our time with Him.
For me, this has meant spending more time with the Lord while my youngest naps and my oldest has free reign of the house. It has also meant reading books that remind me about who God is, what He says, and how I can live by His ways. It has meant opening my Bible at midnight when I can't shut my mind off rather than looking up recipes or researching the best ways to accomplish a project I'm planning. Diving deeper into the Word of God can only mean one thing: In return comes a deeper love for God. This is what I've seen to be true in my life and in the lives of those around me. I keep coming back to Psalm 121 as I ruminate on all this summer has taught me and meant to me. I needed this Sabbath to be reminded all over again that God is my help, my fortress, and my everything.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 121:1-8
This Psalm concretes the calling of knowing God deeply all the more. Our help comes from the Lord. He will not let us be moved to places He does not want us to go as we walk faithfully with Him. He is our keeper in the highest highs and lowest lows. He is the shade over us; he covers and carries us. He keeps us from all evil and is the One who holds all of our days. We are promised that He will be with us in our coming and in our going today and forever into eternity.
What a promise, what a gift. What joy we have in placing our hope in Him. Without knowledge of what God has given us through His Word, we miss these glimpses into the goodness He has for those who love Him. As summer comes to a close, I pray that not only for my life but for your life, too, we will draw more closely to God. This could be through a sabbatical or keeping a diligent routine for spending intentional time with Him. Whatever it looks like, give yourself time to get to know your Creator more deeply.
He is faithful in showing Himself to us day in and day out. We need to be faithful to show up for Him to learn more about His heart and desires for us and those He has entrusted to our care.
Let's pray:
Lord, thank you for the gift of your promises. All throughout the Bible, you reveal your heart's desires for us, and one of those desires you have is that we would seek to know you more deeply. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on you and my steps so closely behind the leading of your Spirit that I never have to question where you are leading me. I submit the rest of this summer and the remainder of the year ahead to you. May I faithfully show up for you and experience the gift of your presence. In Jesus' name, amen.
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Chelsey is the voice behind the Living with Less Podcast and author of the 52-week devotional More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World. She writes devotions for Lifeway Women's Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and iBelieve.com. She also writes Bible reading plans for the YouVersion Bible App. Chelsey lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and at her website ChelseyDeMatteis.com.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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