Photo taken in Utah.

Author: Elton Streyle, Contributor: Noah, Photography and Editing: Ali

Gracious Heavenly Father, I come to You in in the Name of Jesus, humbled and honored to be in Your presence. I want to have praise always on my lips for You, but it can be difficult sometimes in these troubling times. Verse 1: “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Thank you for the encouragement and example in this psalm of what David did in his times of trouble. Verse 6: “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all of his troubles.”

The path You have for me can sometimes be hard to see and Your perfect plan can be difficult to decipher. However, I choose to put my trust in You nonetheless, knowing that You have all good attributes and that You are sovereign and reign over everything.

You promise great blessings to me as Your child but You also require obedient participation in how I live. Direct me, in addition to crying out to You, to genuinely trust You. Verse 8: “Oh taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”

Will You also continue to develop in me the character traits expressed in verses 13 and 14. “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

I know that in life brokenness and afflictions will come, but You are mighty to save and will deliver me from the fire. In Jesus’ Name, when all is said and done, thank you for the promise in verse 19: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” Amen.