Psalm 62 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 62.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/62/1/s_540001

Meditate on verses 1-2.

My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation.

 He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold;

I shall not be greatly shaken.

David’s relationship with the LORD was intimately personal.  The personal possessive pronoun “my” was used 14 times in Psalm 62.  Observe what David called God:

~ my salvation (vs. 1, 2, 6, 7)

~ my rock (vs. 2, 6)                               

~ my stronghold (vs. 2, 6)                    

~ my hope (v. 5)

~ my glory (v. 7)

~ my strength (v. 7)

~ my refuge (v. 7)

Because the LORD was his God, David gave a powerful, commanding invitation for others to trust God.

Trust in Him at all times, O people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

—Psalm 62:8

What is your relationship with the LORD?  Is He your stronghold and salvation?  Are others drawn to a relationship with Christ because you know Him intimately?

Pray Psalm 62:2 and 8 over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, You are my rock, my salvation, and my stronghold.

Please be _____________’s rock, salvation, and stronghold.

Do not let them be greatly shaken.  Help them trust in You at all times.

Let them pour out their heart before You.  God, be their refuge.

In Your strong name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 61 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 61.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/61/1/s_539001

Meditate on verses 1 and 2.

Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer. 

From the end of the earth, I call to You when my heart is faint;

 lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

David cried to the LORD to hear his prayer because God had been a refuge and tower of strength to him in the past (vs. 1, 3). David knew the LORD was a rock higher than he was; he appealed to the exalted One who was proven trustworthy.

What do you know about the LORD because you have experienced His faithfulness in the past? What do you know about the LORD because the Bible has told you His actions and attributes? Based on those facts, pray Psalm 61 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer.

 From the end of the earth, I call to You.

__________ and my hearts are faint;

lead us to the rock that is higher than we are.

For You have been a refuge for us,

a tower of strength against the enemy.

Let us dwell in Your tent forever;

let us take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.

Hear our vows, O God;

 give us the inheritance of those who fear Your name.

Prolong our lives; let our years be as many generations.  

Let us abide before You forever;

 appoint Your lovingkindness and truth that they may preserve us.

Help us sing praise to Your name forever,

that we may pay our vows day by day.

For the sake of Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 60 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 60.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/60/1/s_538001

Meditate on verses 11-12.

O give us help against the adversary,

for deliverance by man is in vain. 

Through God we shall do valiantly,

 and it is He who will tread down our adversaries.

David acknowledged that he and the people had gone through difficult times, but for the glory of His name, God was even in control of hardships. Read 2 Samuel 8 to learn the rest of this story. God delivered David from his enemies and established his kingdom.

Do you and those you love feel rejected and broken by God? Psalm 60 contains good verses to pray over your situation.

Pray Psalm 60:1 and 3-5 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“O God, You have rejected ________ and me.

You have broken us; You have been angry; O, restore us!

You have made us experience hardship;

You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger. 

LORD, we fear You; please give us a banner that we can display because of Your truth. 

Please deliver Your beloved _____________; save with Your right hand and answer us! 

Because of Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 59 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 59.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/59/1/s_537001

Meditate on verse17b.

God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

David repeated the words stronghold and lovingkindness in this psalm (vs. 9-10, 16-17). He was in a desperate situation, literally surrounded by men commanded to kill him (1 Samuel 19:11). David reminded himself about who God is and appealed to Him for help (vs. 4-5).

What evil surrounds you or someone you love? Is there a stronghold in your family that needs to be replaced by the stronghold of God? Reread Psalm 59 and find a phrase or verse about who God is. Meditate on and memorize it. Share it with someone who needs to know about the strength and lovingkindness of the LORD.

Pray Psalm 59:4b, 9-11, and 16-17 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, arouse Yourself to help _______ and me, and see us and this situation!

Because of the strength of this situation, we will watch for You,

 for You are our stronghold.  My God, in Your lovingkindness, meet us!

 God, look triumphantly upon our foes!  Scatter them by Your power

and bring them down, O LORD, our shield.  As for ______ and me, we shall sing of Your strength.  Yes, help us joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,

 for You have been our stronghold and a refuge in the day of distress.

O our strength, we will sing praises to You,

for You are our stronghold, the God who shows us lovingkindness.

In Your strong name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 58 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 58.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/58/1/s_536001

Meditate on verses 10-11.

The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;

he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

And men will say, “Surely there is reward for the righteous;

surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

Psalm 58 is a disturbing, violent psalm.  As you read it, you may have questions to ask your LORD about wicked people and the nature of God.  You may want to read more about the coming wrath and judgment of God on sinful, evil people.  Revelation 14 is a good cross-reference to Psalm 58. 

So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 

And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.

—Revelation 14:19-20

Psalm 58 is also a great reminder to pray for those you know who do not have a relationship with the LORD Jesus Christ and to beg God to choose them for the sake of His salvation.

David asked God to shatter the teeth of the evil people around him (v. 6).  There are some wicked people in the world right now that you may want to ask God to make them “like the miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun” (v. 8).

You may want to ask God to make those evil people righteous people.  As a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7), pray Psalm 58:11 over them.

“Surely You are the God who judges the earth! 

Make _________ righteous, so there will be a reward for them.

You are the reward, Jesus, in whose name I pray~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 57 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 57.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/57/1/s_535001

Meditate on verse 7.

My heart is steadfast, O God;

 my heart is steadfast;

 I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!

When David wrote this psalm, his life was not going smoothly. Nothing was quite working out as he had hoped. It was a season of living in caves, hiding from King Saul who wanted him dead (1 Samuel 22; 24). When David’s family heard where he was living, they even visited him in his cave (1 Samuel 22:1).

Sometimes life is like David’s, things are not going as you may have hoped. This is an encouraging psalm because it gives you words to pray confidently on days, weeks, months ... even during years when life is hard.

Pray Psalm 57:1-3 and 7 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“Be gracious to ________ and me, O LORD, be gracious to us,

for our souls take refuge in You;

and in the shadow of Your wings,

 we will take refuge until destruction passes by. 

We will cry to God Most High,

to You, God, who accomplishes all things for us. 

You will send from heaven and save us. 

You reproach him who tramples upon us. 

LORD, You will send forth Your lovingkindness and Your truth. 

Our hearts are steadfast, O God, our hearts are steadfast;

we will sing, yes, we will sing praises.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 56 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 56.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/56/1/s_534001

Meditate on verse 3.

When I am afraid, I will trust in You.

It was the summer of 1969 in Amarillo, Texas; I (Marsha) was eight years old. Several life changing things happened that summer. The most important was on June 8; I invited Jesus to live in my life as my Savior and LORD. I was baptized on June 22.

We moved to a different house that summer. I did not like change, and I missed my old house; I dreaded going to a new school to start third grade.

And there was the week I attended Vacation Bible School at my church. Each morning there was a Bible verse to memorize, and on one particular day, the verse was Psalm 56:3. I memorized it in the King James Version:

What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

Now, summertime in Amarillo can bring significant thunderstorms, which often contain very large hail and even tornadoes. As a little girl, I was terribly afraid of tornadoes.

This particular summer night, my parents had already tucked me into bed. As I lay there trying to fall asleep, I overheard them talking, and the tone of their voices told me something bad was about to happen. Being eight years old, I reasoned that I needed to be a “big girl” and not add to their concerns, so I decided to stay in bed even though I was honestly scared to death. I started saying the Bible verse I had memorized that morning over and over.

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

 What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. 

What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee..”

And I fell asleep.

The next morning I awoke to learn that half the windows in our house were broken, and our entire roof needed to be replaced because of the destructive hailstorm. Miraculously, I heard none of it because the LORD caused me to sleep through the night.

The LORD laid a significant foundation stone for my walk of faith. I knew that I knew that I did not need to be afraid. I could trust in the LORD.

Psalm 56:3 became my “forever verse,” a Bible verse tucked forever into my memory to be said the moment I need it. Do you have a forever verse, a Biblical truth that comes to mind quickly in difficult circumstances?

Trusting God was a forever theme of David’s life. In Psalm 56, he was scared, yet he chose to put his trust in the LORD and not be afraid (v. 11).

As a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7), pray Psalm 56:8-13 over a situation where you and someone you love need to trust God.

“LORD, take account of _________ and my wanderings.

Put our tears in Your bottle and in Your book.

Turn back our enemies in the day when we call on You.

This we know, that You are for us, God!

God, we praise Your Word.

LORD, we praise Your Word.

God, we put our trust in You; we will not be afraid.

What can man do to us?

Your vows are binding upon us, O God.

We will give You thank offerings,

for You have delivered our souls from death,

 indeed our feet from stumbling.

LORD, let us walk before You in the light of the living.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 55 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 55.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/55/1/s_533001

Meditate on verses 1-2.

Give ear to my prayer, O God,

 and do not hide Yourself from my supplication. 

Give heed to me and answer me;

I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted.

Psalm 55 is another Maskil of David, a thought-provoking psalm. The words of the distracted psalmist bring comfort to those of us in similar situations.

Someone who had been David’s friend became his enemy.  David used words like: anguish, fear, trembling, and horror to describe his feelings (vs. 4-5).  And, he took his anguished, fearful, trembling, horrified self to his LORD.

As for me, I shall call upon God, and the LORD will save me.

 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur,

 and He will hear my voice.  He will redeem my soul in peace

 from the battle which is against me…

—Psalm 55:16-18a

Contemplate the fact that you can take any situation, any complaint to your LORD. You can talk to Him all day long about what is happening to you and those you love. In fact, He wants you to bring Him all your needs.  If you are in the midst of a restless, distracted time of life, use the words of Psalm 55 to voice the cries of your heart.

Pray Psalm 55:1 and 22-23b over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“Give ear to ________ and my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from our supplication.  We cast our burden upon You, LORD.  Please sustain us!

LORD, make us righteous and do not allow us to be shaken. LORD, we will trust in You.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 54 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 54.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/54/1/

Meditate on verse 4.

Behold, God is my helper;

the LORD is the sustainer of my soul.

Psalms 52-55 are introduced as Maskils of David. They are psalms to be contemplated with lessons to be learned.

1 Samuel 26 gives the historical context for Psalm 54. David was hiding in the wilderness of Ziph from an angry King Saul who was pursuing him with 3,000 men. The Ziphites told Saul that David was hiding in their midst. Read 1 Samuel 26 to learn what God wants to teach you about trusting Him in impossible situations. You will discover verses to pray in that chapter; for example, “May the LORD deliver me from all distress” (1 Samuel 26:24).

Now, pray Psalm 54 as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7). Hear the LORD teaching you as you talk to Him.

“Save _______ and me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate us by Your power.

Hear our prayer, O God; give ear to the words of our mouths.

 For strangers have risen against us, and violent men have sought our lives;

they have not set You before them. Behold, God, You are our helper;

 LORD, You are the sustainer of our souls. Recompense the evil to our foes;

destroy them in Your faithfulness. Willingly we will sacrifice to You;

we will give thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is good. 

LORD, deliver us from all trouble; let our eyes look with satisfaction upon our enemies.

Because of Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 53 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 53.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/53/1/s_531001

Meditate on verse 1a.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

God is not what the world would call “politically correct.” God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), so He calls a person who thinks He does not exist a fool, someone who is senseless and stupid.

Amazingly, God even saves fools.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked…

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh,

indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,

 and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest,

 but God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

 even when we were dead in our transgressions,

made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

—Ephesians 2:1-5

Apart from Jesus Christ, everyone is a fool. Thank your Savior for saving you from your foolish self. As a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6- 7), pray Psalm 53:2 and 6 over those you know who need God’s salvation.

“God, look down from heaven upon ___________.

 Let them understand and seek after You.

Bring them Your salvation and rescue Your captive people.

Let them rejoice and be glad.

Because of Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 51 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 51.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/51/1/s_529001

Meditate on verse 17.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:

 a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of confession after committing adultery with Bathsheba and attempting to cover his sins by having her husband killed (2 Samuel 11-12:23).

Only the blood of Jesus and His righteousness covers sins.  Be quick to confess yours; do not be tempted to ignore and downplay sin.

Pray Psalm 51:1-17 over yourself, so you can be a faithful, prayerful watchman for others (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion, blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. 

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.  Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

 wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Make me to hear joy and gladness;

 let the bones which You have broken rejoice.  Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.

 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You.  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.  O LORD, open my lips that my mouth may declare Your praise.  For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

 a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Because of Your sacrifice, LORD Jesus Christ~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 50 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 50.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/50/1/s_528001

Meditate on verses 22-23.  God is talking.

Now consider this, you who forget God,

 or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver. 

He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;

 and to him who orders his way aright, I shall show the salvation of God.

God addressed every human in this psalm.  He first spoke to those who are His people in verses 1-15.  He gave them a command, an invitation, and a promise in verses 14-15:

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High;

call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.

The LORD then admonished the wicked in verses 16-22.  The contrast is obvious.  Notice how God described wicked people (vs. 17-20):

·      They hate discipline and cast God’s Words behind them.

·      They see a thief and are pleased with him; they associate with adulterers.

·      They let their mouth loose in evil; their tongue frames deceit (v. 19).

·      They speak against their brother and slander their own mother’s son.

How is the LORD speaking to you through this psalm?  Are there areas of your life that you need to humble before the LORD, confessing and asking forgiveness?  Repent then offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to your God and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Pray Psalm 50:23 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, teach _______ and me how to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving

 that honors You.  Help us order our way aright. God, show us Your salvation!

In Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 49 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 49.

blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/49/1/s_527001

Meditate on verses 1 and 7-8a.

Hear this, all peoples: give ear, all inhabitants of the world.

No man can by any means redeem his brother

or give to God a ransom for him—

for the redemption of his soul is costly…

God wants every person on earth to hear this psalm.

The psalmist was surrounded by sin and adversity, poverty and wealth, but he knew death puts an end to all those things, but death cannot put an end to a person’s soul. The soul of every human lives forever, either with God or separated from God. The cost to redeem a soul was expensive; it cost God His life. Every human must know and believe the story of redemption to live forever with God.

Do not let Satan distract you with his evil. Do not be consumed by the news of the day; be consumed by the love of your Savior who died, so you can live. That is the news that must be told. Ask your LORD to remove your fears and help you tell others the story of Jesus Christ.

Pray Psalm 49:3 and 15 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let _______ and my mouth speak wisdom

 and the meditation of our hearts be understanding. 

God, redeem the soul of __________ from the power of Sheol (hell).

Let them choose You, so You will receive them.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Psalm 48 - Praying God's Word

Please read Psalm 48.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/psa/48/1/s_526001

Meditate on verse 1.

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised,

in the city of our God, His holy mountain.

Observe Mount Zion (vs. 1-2).  It is:

·      God’s holy mountain and beautiful in elevation.

·      the joy of the whole earth and the city of the great King.

Observe how the kings of the earth responded to Zion (vs. 5-6) .  They:

·      were amazed and terrified.

·      fled in alarm.

·      were seized with panic and anguish.

Observe how the people of God responded (vs. 8-10, 13).  They:

·      know God will establish His city forever.

·      think about the LORD’s lovingkindness.

·      know God’s right hand is full of righteousness.

·      consider the LORD and His city, so they can tell it to the next generation.

If you are a Christian, then “you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem ...” (Hebrews 12:22). You can pray Psalm 48:3, 8b-10, and 14 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“God, make Yourself known as a stronghold to _______ and me.

God, establish us forever. Let us think on Your lovingkindness, O God,

 in the midst of Your temple.  As is Your name, O God, so is Your praise

to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.

 For such are You, God.  You are our God forever and ever. Guide us until death. 

For the sake of Your name, Jesus~”

The Watchman on the Wall 2 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell