Accessing God’s Presence: Praying Through Psalm 23
Because You are my Shepherd I commit my needs to You.
Provide green pasture for me to rest in,
And still waters to quench my thirst.
Restore my soul when I am empty,
And lead me in right paths for Your name’s sake.
Be with me in danger when I walk
Through the valley of the shadow of death.
Deliver me from evil,
And protect me with Your rod and staff.
Prepare a table to feed me.
So my enemies can see Your provision.
Anoint me with the oil of Your healing,
Let me drink from the full cup of Your provision.
Surely goodness and mercy will always follow me,
And I will live with You forever (Psalm 23 ELT).
When the Lord is Your Shepherd
A Sunday school teacher visited a young boy from his class who was dying. “What hope can I give him?” the frustrated teacher thought. He didn’t know what to say to the boy, because he didn’t know how to prepare a young soul to die. Toward the end of his visit, the teacher reminded the young boy, “Remember, the Lord is your Shepherd.”
Then to make it practical so the boy would remember the lesson, the teacher asked the little boy to hold up five fingers. Pointing to each of the five fingers, the teacher repeated the five words that begin Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Then the teacher asked the boy to repeat the phrase, touching each finger as he said the corresponding word. When the little boy counted to the ring finger—the fourth finger—he grabbed his chubby finger with his other hand repeating, “My. My Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd.”
The next morning the little boy didn’t wake up; he was asleep in Jesus. The parents found his chubby hand still holding the fourth ring finger. Truly in death, the Lord was his Shepherd.
The Lord is my Shepherd;
I shall not want (Psalm 23:1 NKJV).
When you say, “my Shepherd,” you are admitting that you are a sheep, or at least you act like a sheep and have the needs of a sheep. If you have the characteristics of a sheep, your biggest need is a shepherd, because sheep can’t make it in life without someone to lead them, protect them, and care for them. Lord, I need You.
What kind of shepherd would you choose if the choice were up to you? Obviously, sheep don’t choose their shepherd, but let’s just take a couple of minutes to play what if. Now you are a sheep, what if you could choose a shepherd? Tell me, what kind of shepherd would you pick? Before you do that, let me tell you what you shouldn’t choose.
Your shepherd shouldn’t be like a businessman; he’d want to make a profit off you. Your shepherd shouldn’t be like an army sergeant; he’d want to lead you into battle. Your shepherd shouldn’t be like a coach; he’d want you to win the game. Also, you wouldn’t even want a king; he’d rule you.
None of these! You’d want a personal shepherd who loved you, not one who made money off you. And you’d want a shepherd who would protect you, not one who’d get you killed in battle. You would choose a shepherd who knew what you liked to eat, where you liked to go, and who knew how to care for you when you were sick. He’d know how to protect you from parasites, predators, and poison weeds. You’d choose a shepherd who would find comfortable places for you to sleep. If you got lost, you’d choose a shepherd who was brave and unselfish; he’d come looking for you. Lord, I’m glad You first chose me.
Isn’t it good to know that you don’t have a choice, but the Shepherd chooses you? When you say, “my Shepherd,” you’re not just telling everyone that the Lord is your personal Shepherd, but you’re saying more than that. You’re telling everyone you belong to the Shepherd who owns everything. He’s “the Lord,” and what does the Lord own? Everything! Your Shepherd is really big in this world, He owns it all. Your Shepherd owns everything because He created it all—everything. So you shouldn’t worry about anything. Lord, I want to be Your sheep.
Talking to God: Using Ten Psalms
Elmer L Towns
Are you in a hot, sweltering desert? He created the burning deserts as well as the cool, shaded pastures with crystal clear water. He knows where everything is located, and He can lead you to relief without looking at a map. Lord, I need some water.
Are you lost in a black valley and you see a death shadow behind a rock? You may not know where you are, but He knows. You’re not lost to Him; He knows where you are in the valley because He created the valley. You can’t even get lost in the dark night because the Lord even says, “I created darkness” (see Isaiah 45:7). You may have lost your way, but not the Lord. So take heart; help’s coming. Come quickly, Lord.
Even after falling into a hole, you think no one in this world knows the trouble you’re in. You’re miserable in the hole because you think no one can help you—not your mother, not your buddy, not your spouse, not even a pastor. You’re discouraged because the Lord is sitting on a throne up there in Heaven and you’re mired in a hole. Wrong! Your Shepherd is the Omnipresent Lord. He may be overseeing Heaven, but He’s also beside you in the hole. “Thou art with me.” You’ve got a Shepherd who is everywhere present at the same time, and best of all, “the Lord is your Shepherd.” Hello, Lord, I didn’t see You standing there.
When the Shepherd brings you home, He doesn’t leave you outside the door; He doesn’t spank you, nor does He send you to bed without your supper. Your Shepherd treats you better than you deserve, better than you expected. Because the Lord is good, your Shepherd is good to you. He loves you when you’re good; He loves you when you stray from Him. Because God is love, He will always love you. And Lord, I love You.
You’ve got a wonderful Shepherd; do you know His name? Because a person’s name usually tells something about them, you ought to know your Shepherd’s name. Why? So you can know Him better.
Your Shepherd’s name is Immanuel, which means “God with us.” He is not just the Lord high and exalted in Heaven. The Bible promises, “Unto us a child is given. Call his name Immanuel” (see Isaiah 9:6). Your Shepherd was conceived in a young virgin girl and born in the lowly stable where animals were kept, including sheep like you. His crib was a feeding trough for animals and sheep like you. He was confined to live in a human body, and He never once sinned. He got hungry, thirsty, and became so tired He fell asleep in the bow of a boat. Some ask how would God act if He became a man? Look at Immanuel, He is “God with us.” Lord, thank You for coming to show me how You would live in the flesh.
Your Shepherd’s name is Redeemer. When you landed in the pawnshop of sin, your Shepherd walked in with the pawn ticket to pay the redemptive price to release you. The Bible says, “You were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ” (see 1 Peter 1:18-19). Lord, I’m glad Your blood paid the price of my sin.
Your Shepherd’s name is Deliverer. Because you disobeyed God’s laws, you were heading for punishment. You were heading for hell. What did your Shepherd do? He went after you and the Bible says He “delivered us from so great a death” (2 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV). Lord, I’m glad You delivered me from hell.
Your Shepherd’s name is Savior. Because the Bible says, “All have sinned,” this included you. Because the Bible says, “The wages of sin is death,” you were lost with no hope, but your Savior reached His hand way down to save you from sin. “The Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14 NKJV). Lord, I’m glad You’re still saving people, including me.
“Hello, God, it’s me!”
Talking to God immerses you into a new experience as you are covered over with a rich, deep tapestry, like the most beautiful woven cloth, of the vast expressions of our human need for God. The psalms express exuberant praise, worship, and adoration, but also deep guilt, anxiety, and fears. The psalms expose the happy times when we are bursting with joy, and sad times when we are crushed and can’t go on.
Every word in the Bible is Spirit-inspired, so each word in each psalm is given to us by God, greatly enriching our spiritual depth and breadth, and learning from the psalmist how to:
Wait for God
Hope in God
Pray to God
Trust in God
Serve God
Obey God
Do His will
The ten psalms explored throughout Talking to God: Psalm 23, In God’s Presence; Psalm 1, Two Ways to Live; Psalm 51, A Cry for Mercy; Psalm 84, Praying to Enjoy God’s Presence; Psalm 90, Praying Through Life’s Struggles; Psalm 100, Rejoicing as You Enter God’s Presence; Psalm 102:1-17, Praying When Overwhelmed with Grief; Psalm 137, Praying, Crying, Singing, Dreaming; Psalm 139, Thanksgiving for God’s Presence; and Psalm 116, Rejoicing in God’s Mercy.
As you read and sing and repeat the words and music of each psalm, you discover God’s presence speaking to you, singing to you. You find yourself listening for and hearing from your heavenly Father. The ultimate result of Talking to God through psalms is enjoying intimacy with Him.
