Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. (NIV) Psalm 119:18
Oh Father, I see the passion that the author of Psalm 119 had for You as he writes. . .
I Seek You with all my heart. . .I have hidden Your word in my heart. . .I delight in Your decrees. . .I have set my heart on Your laws. . .I run in the path of Your commands. . .turn my heart, my eyes toward Your statutes. . .I have put my hope in Your laws. . .Your decrees are the theme of my song. . .You are my portion. . .I have sought your face with all my heart. . . at midnight I rise to give you thanks. . .I keep Your precepts with all my heart. . .I have put my hope in Your Word. . .My soul faints with longing for your salvation.
I have sought out Your precepts. . .I will ponder Your statutes. . .I meditate on it all day long. . .Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. . .my heart is set on keeping Your decrees. . .I stand in awe of Your laws. . . I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commands. . .streams of tears flow from my eyes for Your law is not obeyed. . .my zeal wears me out.
I call with all my heart. . .I rise before dawn and cry out to You. . .my eyes stay open through the watches of the night. . . I love Your precepts. . .my heart trembles at Your word. . .I love Your law. . .7 times a day I praise You. . .I wait for Your salvation, I follow Your commands, I obey Your statutes, for I love them greatly. . .may my lips overflow, my tongue sing. . . I long for Your salvation. . .Your law is my delight. . .I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commands.
A prayer to pray:
Oh Lord, I long to have a passion for You and Your Word like that. I want an unquenchable passion to know You and Your Word. And yet the author is very honest. Even he strayed from You, “like a lost sheep.” He knows that only You can seek Him out, find him, deliver him. Father, I want that passion. Forgive me for turning away from You and pursuing other things. . .forgive me for when I choose to dwell on impure thoughts. . .there is no good thing in me. I want to echo Psalm 16:2: I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” (NIV) There is no good in me, only You. The incredible thing is that that is enough. Amen
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