Ramesh C. Reddy
Managing Editor
Hi everyone :)
May you come to know the awesome mercies of the Lord and His everlasting grace! Amen!
Quiet Times (Psalm 79, Proverbs 19, & Matthew 19)
“Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” (Psalm 79:8-9)
As I read this in my devotional time today, I was really touched by this prayer in the Psalm. I made it my personal prayer. The significant part of this prayer for me was in v.8: “Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers”
The Psalmist realizes that the sins of past generations can affect the present generation. It goes deeper when we think about our families’ sins and how they can have an affect on our own lives. He does not be in despair and give up thinking, “what’s the point they already sinned and I am going to bear the fruit.”
On the contrary, He goes to the Lord and pleads with the Lord trusting in the Lord. The trust issue is revealed when he is able to open up and plead with God not to hold the sins of the fathers against them. But much more powerful aspect is the next prayer statement: “May your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.”
The Psalmist realizes that things have happened because of sin and they have been affected and prays for God’s mercy realizing God is able to provide that mercy. In a way despite the circumstances, I see the psalmist ruthlessly trusting in God when he is putting his dependence on God. The community he is praying for does not just have a need but a desperate need and he is able to go to God.
When people have a need, they usually try to have that need met. I see the Psalmist praying on behalf of the community interceding on their behalf evidenced more by this intercessory statement: “Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.”
Three things stuck out for me: HELP! DELIVER! FORGIVE! all enveloped in believing God to be their SAVIOR!
The Psalmist acknowledges God as their Savior and asks for help, deliverance, and forgiveness for the people. Help is asked for the glory of God’s name so that God can be glorified in the direst circumstances when they ruthlessly trust in Him regardless of the circumstances. Deliverance and forgiveness are asked for God’s name’s sake.
This was significant to me because there is a lot attached to a name and intercessory prayer here is utilizing God’s name. This concept becomes more significant in the New Testament when Jesus says, ‘Ask anything using my Name and it shall be done by my Father in Heaven.’
As I looked at the observations in this passage, I saw a lot of implications for my own life. There have been sins that I have committed that have affected other people and there have been sins that have been committed by others that have affected me too. No one is an island, and anything negative we do affects someone else and it becomes a chain reaction that we may not even see.
I know there have been prayers to God that my actions would not affect in a negative way. I have prayed too that others actions won’t continue to affect certain situations. The exciting thing is that 'we can boldly approach God’s throne of grace and find help in time of need' as the Book of Hebrews talks about.
I knew that I can go to God and ask him for help, deliverance, and forgiveness not only for the wrongs that I have done but intercede on behalf of others for God’s mercy to be shown. I have learned from personal experience that the Lord can deliver us from the direst circumstances.
Just today, I had a meeting with my pastor and learned a lot about a area of my life that I wanted to hold on to so badly but I needed to let God have it as I desperately trust in Him. What’s more exciting is that God in His mercy allowed another pastor to help me too.
I felt that I should put a person’s name on my buddy list on Instant Messenger (IM) who I have not had contact with in months. I felt I should go on IM at a certain time even though I was busy and I did. To my surprise, the person I have not spoken to for years was there. He was my staff worker at Pitt with InterVarsity whose position I had taken when he went on to become a pastor. Today he helped me so much through IM.
My pastor, my mommy and others have been praying for me because of what I have been going through and the Lord not only used my pastor from church, Andrew Gill but my former mentor/staff worker and current pastor of a church in South Carolina, Kent Walley to bring help and deliverance in certain areas of my life.
I know it will be a process but I know that God in His mercy has been looking after me and has answered numerous prayers of intercession on my behalf and on others behalf too.
I ask you now dear friends, where do you need mercy?/Messiah's Everlasting Redemption Carries You! (M.E.R.C.Y)
Dear friends, each of us needs mercy in our lives and without mercy we will start chipping away. God in His grace and love is there to offer you and me that mercy. All we need to do is ask and go to God in desperate need. He will not turn us away. His love is there to reach us and we can have confidence to pray prayers of intercession for our family and friends too. The psalmist would not have bothered praying if he did not think God would listen but He knew God would listen and become his Helper, Deliverer, Forgiver and Savior.
If the psalmist is able to go to God in the direst circumstances revealed in Psalm 79, no matter what we are facing we can go to God too for Help. I do not know what you are going through and what the issues of your life are but your Deliverer and Savior knows and He wants to Help you. Come to Him as you are and make that prayer your prayer believing God will help you. May you rest in His awesome love! You can even personalize the prayer for you.
Prayer:
Lord, please do not hold the sins of our fathers against us and what others have done. I know Oh Lord, there are consequences of other people’s actions and that can affect me too. Lord, I do not deserve your mercy but I plead with you that your mercy would come and be imparted in my life for I am in desperate need. You know my shortcomings and only you can help me. Help me in the process to show mercy to those that have wronged me as you show me mercy. Let me not be like the unforgiving servant but like you though you were beaten, crucified, and mocked, you prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Help me Oh Lord my Savior, for the glory of Your Name. Come and deliver me and forgive all my sins and the sins of our families and friends. Also, please help nations to humble themselves before you so that you can heal their lands. Thank you so much, you can come and deliver us for your Name’s sake. Thank you that we can turn to you. I choose to ruthlessly trust in you through the times of pain too. Help me and be my Lord and Savior in my times of happiness and times of desperation. Thank you Jesus for being my Lord and Personal Savior, for hearing my prayers and answering me! In Your Name I pray Jesus! Amen!
Love in Christ,
Ramesh
Give us your feedback if you agree or disagree