Daily Huddle - Wed Aug 19, 2020 In The Evening

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It is truth, completely, exclusively.  Everything God says is true because everything God is – is true.  There is no falsehood in Him.  One thing I really appreciate about PRISM – is Praise the Word – a life altering, never be the same again, never stop doing it the rest of my life – habit.  His Word will never give you nothing back...  It always produces wisdom and knowledge and understanding in you – no limits.  Every time you read it.  He has something for you.  If you want even more – you can get you some.  He’s waiting for you!  Psalms 141:1 – O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me.  Hear my voice when I call to you.   May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.  What a prayer to God.  We know God does that – He hears the moment you call.  And He answers when you call.  He promised.  But why is David starting with that?  Was He in trouble, under attack, something went wrong, he screwed up big time this time?   There is no indication of that in this chapter – other chapters make that clear.  This time David is intent in asking for help.  For what?  He wanted his prayers and his hands – to be pleasing to God - that when he lifted his hands – God would be pleased just like He was with the fragrant aroma of incense, and the giving of the evening sacrifice.  David wasn’t needing something from God – he was sincere about wanting to give something to God.  That God would be pleased with him!  And I wondered, are my prayers like incense before God? – Is he pleased with my prayer.  Do I give him more than my latest grocery list of requests.  David here is doing something this evening - Prayers and Hands.  He’s had a long day at work, he’s got the kids to take care of tonight, and give his wife a break, he’s still got the grass to cut, or the car to pick up from the repair shop…  but his evenings – aren’t just wasted, they are invested.  He’s wanting his prayers to be a fragrance before God.  That means most of his prayer – is pouring out on God, not asking God to pour something out on Him.  Pouring out on God - what He’s worth!  David's prayers are praise, and adoration and thanksgiving before any petition.  And in the evening – He comes back to God.  He doesn’t run to just chores, or downtime, or relaxments…  (that’s not a word, but you know what I mean).  David's heart was to please God.  So he went on to ask, for something beyond his prayers and his hands.  He was thinking of God in the evenings – even after a long, hard day.  And then he says – Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.  Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.  David knew that if his heart was to please God - it couldn't be drawn to other things - so He was asking God to help him.   I wonder if David knew how prophetic his prayer was, that the Lamb of God would come to take away the sins of the world, that one sacrifice for us all, so our prayers can be the incense, and our lifted hands can be like the evening sacrifice.  David knew the connection between prayer and lifted hands – and mouth and heart.  He can’t just worship with his prayer and his hands, and not have his mouth under the control of the Holy Spirit as well - so His heart isn't drawn away.  Set a guard over my mouth,  not set a defense.   A defense is what you need when someone attacks you.  A guard is what you do beforehand that prevents people from even wanting to attack you – they look for an easier target.  David is saying set a guard over my mouth – keep watch over my lips – because lips draw the heart to what is good or evil.  Then he says let me not take part in...  why did he say that?  He wasn't there when evil people did what evil people do.  But David was revealing that what you say you are in a way taking part in...  (and then you eventually will.)  Some things that others do, are not worth mentioning or talking about.  Why participate, what extend the notoriety of evil?  Why give it screen time in your mind or conversation?  Let me not eat of their delicacies… he’s not talking about eating eating donuts and pastries made by a not very nice person…  he’s talking about what his mouth says, not what his mouth eats.  What his mouth feeds on in the words that come out, not the food that goes in.  Praying that you'll be like David - that your heart will come back to God in the evening - that your prayers will be like incense, that your hands will be lifted up, that your words would be guarded, but employing them with truth, and praise, and promise, and thanksgiving.  So that God would be pleased with your heart – and your prayers, and your hands.  That your words would always fill it with His Word – so everything you say will be an aroma that pleases God, so your hands will be clean and lifted up like the evening sacrifice.  
 
Love you all,
dad