Devotional for August 6

Know the Lord

6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Psalm 103:6-19  (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Prayer is to faith what exercise is to fitness. Too little prayer and too little exercise are both ruinous to the spirit, soul, and body. To pray is to practice the presence of God. The more you pray the easier and more natural it becomes. A life of prayer begins with God, looks for opportunities to mix prayer in throughout the day, and ends with God. Prioritizing prayer prepares us to be better conductors of the grace of God. Pray not with endless lists like the leech or fire that never gets enough, nor with vain repetition like the heathen. O Lord, help us to pray so that we may come to know you better. (Proverbs 30:15-16; James 4:1-4; 1 John 2:16-17; Matthew 26:41; Proverbs 23:5; 1 Timothy 6:6-11; Matthew 6:5-15, 7:7-11, 21:22; John 14:13-14; John 12:20-26; Matthew 16:24; Ephesians 2:1-7; 2 Timothy 1:7; Psalm 42:2-4; Isaiah 55:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:14-25; Ephesians 3:14-21)