May 25
When Do You Pray?
Do not forsake me, O Lord! - Psalms 38:21
We frequently pray that God would not forsake us in the hour of trial and temptation, but we are prone to forget that we need to pray like this at all times. There is no moment of our life, however holy, in which we can do without His constant upholding. Whether in light or in darkness, in communion or in temptation, we need always to pray, "Do not forsake me, O LORD!" "Hold me up, that I may be safe."1
A little child, while learning to walk, always needs the nurse's aid. The ship left by the pilot drifts immediately off course. We cannot do without continued aid from above; let it then be your prayer today, "Do not forsake me. Father, do not forsake Your child, lest he fall by the hand of the enemy. Shepherd, do not forsake Your lamb, lest he wander from the safety of the fold. Farmer, do not forsake Your crops, lest they wither and die. 'Do not forsake me, O LORD,' now or at any moment of my life. Do not forsake me in my joys, lest they absorb my heart. Do not forsake me in my sorrows, lest I murmur against You. Do not forsake me in the day of my repentance, lest I lose the hope of pardon and fall into despair; and do not forsake me in the day of my strongest faith, lest faith degenerate into presumption. Do not forsake me, for without You I am weak, but with You I am strong. Do not forsake me, for my path is dangerous and full of snares, and I cannot do without Your guidance. As the hen does not forsake her brood, so You, O Lord protect me, and permit me to find my refuge in You. 'Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.'2 Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!'"3
Forever in our cleansed breast,
May Thy Eternal Spirit rest;
And make our secret soul to be
A temple clean and pure for Thee.
1 Psalm 119:117
2 Psalm 22:11
3 Psalm 27:9
Family Bible reading plan
verse 1 Numbers 34
verse 2 Psalms 78:38-72
For the last three decades, the idea of the traditional family has been under cultural assault. Every movement from the so-called sexual revolution to same-sex parenting has taken it’s toll on the foundational building blocks of our society. How do parents navigate these challenges? God, the perfect Father, provides the answers. In this short, but wisdom-rich booklet, Alistair Begg, gives practical, biblical instruction on what it looks like to be a father and to be a mother . . . God’s way.
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From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.