PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE


A. "HOLD UP MY GOINGS IN THY PATHS, THAT MY FOOTSTEPS SLIP NOT" PSALMS 17:5
  1. This is a thought-provoking prayer:
    1. It concerns itself with walking in the ways of the Lord
    2. It seeks guidance in judgment and doing what is right
  2. That must ever be the chief end of our supplications:
    1. Grace to live right
    2. Wisdom to know the way the Lord desires for us to live
B. GOD'S PATHS - "HOLD UP MY GOINGS IN THY PATHS, THAT MY FOOTSTEPS SLIP NOT"
  1. The bible use of the word - "Paths"
    1. A marked or beaten way which has been traveled by others - Gen. 49:17; Is. 49:11
    2. The way God designs for us to live - prayed the Psalmist, "Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in the plain path, because of mine enemies" - Ps. 27:11; "Make me to go in the path of Thy commandment; for therein do I delight" - Ps. 119:33-35
  2. There are, in truth, but two ways to choose from:
    1. The path with a wide entrance - a broad road, a lot of company - Matt. 7:13-14
    2. Or the narrow way with a narrow entrance, difficult to find and very few that walk on it - Matt. 7:13-14
  3. There is a great difference between the two ways:
    1. The broad road with the wide entrance is (i) crooked - Ps. 125:5; Prov. 2:5; Is. 59:8 (ii) dark - Is. 29:15 (iii) place of misery - Matt. 22:13; (iv) the path of spiritual ignorance - John 3:19
    2. The straight and narrow way with a narrow entrance is (i) lighted - Prov. 4:18 (ii) blue-printed by the Word of God - Jesus Christ is the Way - John 14:6 (iii) This path leads to the kingdom of glory - to the house of the Lord Ps. 23:1-6
  4. The paths of the Lord:
    1. they are the old way - "Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls" - Jer. 6:16
    2. The old paths to walk in are the ten commandments - Ps. 119:30-33; Luke 1:6; Job 1:1-3
C. WHAT A WONDERFUL PRAYER TO MEDITATE UPON
  1. It does not concern itself:
    1. With the attainment of the sinful pleasures of the human heart - I John 2:15-16
    2. It does not desire to have strength to pursue its own ways - Pr. 16:1, 23-25; Is. 53:3-6
  2. It seeks to walk the paths of the Lord:
    1. Says the Psalmist, "I have chosen the way of truth" - Ps. 119:30-33
    2. It aims to live in harmony with the commandments of God - Rev. 14:12
    3. Said Jesus, "I delight to do Thy will O my God; yea Thy law is within my heart" - Ps. 40:8
    4. Said the Psalmist, "I hate every evil way" - Ps. 119:104
  3. This should be our early morning supplication:
    1. "Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not"
    2. "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" - Ps. 37:5
    3. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my paths" - Ps. 119:105
  4. It is wonderful for one to tarry in the counsel chamber of prayer early and long:
    1. To commune with the Lord
    2. To receive guidance for our life during the day
    3. To be guided by the counsel of the Lord
    4. It is too sad to think that we neglect that hour of heavenly refreshing and so create difficulty and perplexity for our soul
  5. Why not resolve with the Psalmist:
    1. To seek the face of the Lord early
    2. To pray fro guidance during the day
    3. To replenish our life with the blessings of the Lord - let us do that


Design © John Bryant 2011