A Prayer For God’s Truth

Be good to your servant,

that I may live and obey your word.

Open my eyes to see

the wonderful truths in your instructions.

I am only a foreigner in the land.

Don’t hide your commands from me!

I am always overwhelmed

with a desire for your regulations. . . .

Your laws please me;

they give me wise advice.

Psalm 119:17-20, 24

September marks the end of the lazy days of summer—a time when we begin to concentrate fully on our tasks at work or school. Life’s pace quickens, and more than ever, we need to consult God’s Word to find out how we should live. The author of this prayer saw himself as a “foreigner in the land”—as someone who lived according to a higher purpose than simply accomplishing the various tasks of each day. He lived to please God and follow his commands. In them, he found wise advice; as he studied Scripture he prayed that God might reveal to him more of his wonderful truths.

The next time you set aside time to study Scripture, pray first. Ask God to help you to understand God’s Word and apply it to your life.

• Dear Lord, open my eyes to see your wonderful truths . . .