Psalms 23

Have a goodnight and know... The Lord IS your SHEPARD, and you do not want for ANYTHING! Goodness and Mercy shall follow you all the days of YOUR LIFE! & YOU WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOR EVER! Amen!~

Transcript

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Good evening and welcome back to Our Care Let's Pray Ministries. Thank you all for tuning in this evening. Thank you all for sitting down and listening to this podcast. Amen. Today I want to talk about a chapter, a scripture that has been with me for a long, long, long time. And that is Psalms 23, the shepherd who never leaves. Amen. A conversation before we pray. Today I don't just want to simply read Psalms 23 to you all. I want to be able to break it down so we can listen and live in the moment of what Psalms 23 is saying. Amen. Psalms 23 is one of the most quoted passages in all of Scripture. Yet many people know the words without fully understanding the promise behind them. Amen. David wrote this Psalms before he was a king. Before he was a king, he was a shepherd. So when David says, The Lord is my shepherd, ooh, hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. He isn't speaking from theory, he's speaking from experience. A shepherd wasn't someone who simply checked on a sheep once a week. A shepherd lived with them, amen. Protected them, guided them, fought for them, fed them, knew them by name. If one wandered away, the shepherd went looking until he found them, amen. David says, that's who God has been to me. Can I ask you all a question real quick? Is Jesus just your savior or is he also your shepherd? A savior rescues, but a shepherd walks with you every day. Let's walk through this beautiful Psalms together. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Amen. This verse isn't promising your own everything you desire, it's promising that under God's care, you will never lack anything necessary to fulfill his purpose for your life. A shepherd doesn't have to figure out where the grass is. The shepherd already knows. Some of you listening have been trying to shepherd yourselves, including me in some areas in my life. You've been asked to take on more than what you're supposed to. Because God already said the battle was his, right? You've been carrying burdens God never asked you to carry. So this evening, God is inviting you to trust him again because he is your shepherd. Verse 2 tells us, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. Notice something. Sometimes God has to make us rest, right? Sometimes things happen in our life where God says, I did it, so you can get some rest. I'm slowing you down because you're running rapid with your head chopped off. And I need you to rest. We live in a society that celebrates being busy, being distracted all the time. But God values being still. Likewise, God doesn't always remove us from difficult seasons, but he provides peace in the middle of them. Maybe what you need this evening isn't another answer. Maybe what you need is God's peace, God's rest. The next verse tells us, He restoreth my soul. David doesn't say God restores our circumstances first, he restores our soul first. Sometimes life drains us, right? Disappointment drains us. Grief drains us. Betrayal waiting drains us, right? Before God changes your situation, he often heals the part of you that has been carrying it, right? God specializes in restoration. He restores hope, joy, peace, purpose, and so much more. He restores what you thought was gone forever. That's how we go on to verse 4, right? Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. I want you to notice something about what David just said. He said, though, every believer will experience valley moments, right? We all have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death sometimes in our life. But when we walk in through them, we're not meant to live there. We're not meant to wait in it. We're meant to walk through it, right? The valley is not your destination, it is just a part of our journey. And notice something else. David doesn't say, God, remove the valley. He says, God walk with us through it, right? Everything we go through in life, we need God to walk with us through it. We can't carry this world by ourselves. We can't carry this weight by ourselves. We need God every second of every day. I need God when I'm sleeping. I need God when I wake up. I need God for every decision. I need God for every heartbreak, every pain, every frustration, stress, and everything else in my life. Even in my good moments, I want God. I want God to celebrate with me when good things happen. I want God to comfort me when I'm going through trials and tribulations, right? This is why when we walk through the valleys, God is with us. And David reminds us that God is with us. His presence is greater with us each and every day. The pressures of the valley is gonna be there, but God's presence is greater. Verse 5 tells us that prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Glory be to God. God doesn't wait until your enemies disappear before he blesses you. Your enemies don't determine your future. Spectators don't determine your future. God does. The haters don't determine your future. God does. Then David says, Thou anointest my head with oil. Oil symbolizes healing, and we all need to be healed each and every day. Oil symbolize healing. The Holy Spirit, power, consecration, right? God doesn't merely say he's saving us. He's saying, I'm equipping you, I'm protecting you, I'm guiding you, I'm around you, right? Then he says, David says, My cup runneth over. And God, I want my cup to run over each and every day. God isn't just enough, he's more than enough. He's saying that God is my cup. He's overflowing in me every day. He's speaking every day in some kind of form, shape, or fashion, right? He's saying God is enough. His blessings overflow so that what he pours into our life blesses the lives, lives of others, right? God said, I made you all a blessing so you can bless others. I overflow into you so you can overflow into someone else. I love on you so you can love on someone else. He said, I just pour into you so you can pour into someone else. And then the last verse before we pray says, Surely, surely, surely, surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Amen. David ends with confidence. Surely I know goodness and mercy are gonna follow me all the days of my life. Joy is gonna follow me all the days of my life. Forgiveness from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is gonna follow me all the days of my life. Happiness, breakthrough, victory is gonna follow me all the days of my life because I know who my father is, right? David ends with confidence, not because life is perfect, but because God is faithful. So when you know you serve a living shepherd that is going to protect you, who is going to be faithful, you know goodness is gonna follow you all the days of your life. Amen. David doesn't say goodness and mercy visit me occasionally. He said it's gonna follow us all the days of our life. Everywhere we go, God's goodness can reach us. His mercy is never far behind. And then David finishes with the greatest promise. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. Amen. Our shepherd isn't just leading us through this life, he's leading us home to eternal life. So this evening, whatever season you're in, if you're celebrating, he's your shepherd. If you're grieving, he's still your shepherd. If you're waiting, he's your shepherd. If you're confused, he's still your shepherd. If you're overwhelmed, God is still your shepherd. And because he is your shepherd, you will never walk alone. Let us go to the Lord in prayer. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Holy Father, in the name of your darling Son Jesus Christ, our good shepherds. Holy Father, I thank you for this day. I thank you for this moment. I thank you, oh God, for being in the room. I thank you, oh God, for every listener you have gathered here this evening. Before they ever press play, you already knew they would be here. You know every tear, every heartbreak, every trial, every tribulation, every prayer that they have placed in your hand, oh God. God, you know us by the number of hairs on our head. You know us by name, oh God. And we say thank you. We thank you for this moment because we are holding on to your word in Psalms 23 that David reminds us of, right? Holy Father, we thank you that them are just not just words that we're familiar with. We thank you because it's a living promise that resides in our heart. Holy Father, we thank you, oh God, for being our shepherd. Holy Father, lead those who feel lost, strengthen those who feel weak, encourage those who are weary, comfort those who are grieving. Holy Father, draw closer those who feel alone. Holy Father, where there is lack, reveal yourself as our provider. Holy Father, we thank you, O God, for always making us rest. Lead each and every one of us, O God, through green pastures. Provide provision each and every day. Calm the waters, oh God, with peace. Calm our anxious minds, oh God. Quiet our overthinking minds and our racing thoughts. Replace fear with your faith, oh God, and confusion with your confidence. Help us to be confident like David was. Let us remind ourselves each and every day, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because my shepherd is with me. Holy Father, help us to stand firm on your word, O God. Remind us that we not walk in this race by ourselves. Remind us that you are walking with us beside the still waters. Remind us, oh God, that you are faithful, that we belong to you. So you're not gonna leave us stranded. You're not gonna leave us hanging. You are right here with us every step of the way, Heavenly Father. So, oh God, I pray right now in the name of the Father, your name, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that you will restore every soul that has become weary from life's battles. People are battling so much behind closed doors. They don't tell nobody. They just rock in a corner, been there, done it, oh God. You know all about it. But God, right now, you saying don't carry that battle alone. God, touch everybody who's weary, that's tired, just don't understand what's going on. God, please restore their joy, restore their happiness, oh God. Remind them, oh God, that you said in your word that you will never leave us nor forsake us. God, remind them that their hope is in you, oh God. Please, oh God, uplift their spirits right now. Uplift them, oh God, wherever they may be, oh God, to let them know that you are with them. They are not alone. You are walking this journey with them. You're walking through the dark moments with them. You're walking with them in the light too, oh God. Remind whatever soul that needs to be reminded right now that you are with them. Restore their families, oh God. Restore their marriages, oh God. Restore their friendships, oh God. Restore their ministries, their finances, their dreams and purpose according to your perfect will. God, you in the restoration business. I've been talking and praying about this for the past couple of days. So I know you're doing something great. Holy Father, I'm asking you right now to cover everybody under the sound of my voice. Walk through them. Walk with them, oh God. Walk through these moments with them, oh God, where they feel alone. Remind them through a song, a word, a bird, a tree. Remind them, oh God, that you are with them. Honey Father, there are so many enemies out here. There's so many naysayers. There's so many people seeking to want you to fail all the time. But God, remind the listener right now that you're preparing a table for them in the presence of their enemy. And the enemy can't remove this table that you're preparing, oh God. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Let favor surround every person under the sound of my voice. Holy Father, I'm praying right now in the name of Jesus Christ that you will open up doors that can't nobody shut, oh God. God, I'm praying that you will close doors that's not according to your will and way over their life right now, oh God. God, anoint them right now with a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. Holy Father, I'm praying that the Holy Spirit will come in the room and surround them with a discernment, surround them with clarity, surround them with wisdom, surround them with boldness and unwavering faith. God, I'm praying right now that their cup will overflow, overflow not only with blessings for themselves, oh God, but with love, generosity, encouragement, and hope for others, oh God. Make them a vessel through and through, oh God. Make them a vessel that you created them to be from the beginning of time that will flow freely, oh God. They won't question it, they won't run from it, but they're gonna sit here and be a cup that overflows because you're overflowing in their life, oh God. Holy Father, I'm praying peace over their life right now. God, give them peace right now. They need your peace, they need your strength, they need your comfort, oh God. Surround them, oh God, with your peace. Holy Father, I declare the victory over their life right now. Whatever they're going through, oh God. Let them know the battle's not theirs, that you're fighting the battle for them. The victory is already there through the blood of Jesus Christ. So let it go and let God have his way. Oh God, hallelujah. I feel your presence in the room. God, speak to the person who needs a word right now. God, uplift the soul that's broken right now, uplift the spirit that's wandering right now. Bring comfort to the room right now, oh God. Come into whatever room they're in right now. Come into their cars on their jobs, wherever they are. Listen, oh God, come into the room and speak to their weary soul, oh God. God, goodness and mercy is gonna follow them every day. Goodness and mercy will follow them not just today, but tomorrow and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that, because I know who you are. You are the great I am, you are the great comforter, you are the great physician, you are the great I am. So I know goodness and mercy are gonna follow us each and every day. I know, oh God, that you with us, our rod and our staff that comforts us each and every day. So, Henry Father, I'm praying right now that your hand will protect and rest upon their homes, their children, their families, their workplaces, and every area of their lives, Heavenly Father. Jesus, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Above all things I'm talking about. God, I pray in the name of Jesus that you will draw each listener into a deeper relationship with your Son, Jesus Christ. Teach them not only to know about the shepherd, but to know Jesus' voice personally. Trust is what we need, oh God. Teach us how to trust your leading each and every day. Help us to follow you faithfully each and every day. Holy Father, help us to be thankful each and every day because you are faithful. You are so faithful to us, oh God. You cover us, you keep us each and every day from dangers seen and unseen. You provide every day, put food on the table, money in the bank account to pay the bills. Even when there ain't enough, oh God, you provide provision, you provide grace and mercy. And God, we thank you for that. God, for every listener, touch them, revive their weary souls. Jesus, speak life back into their dry bones, speak life into their decisions, speak life into their business deals, speak life into their visions and dreams, oh God. Speak life all the way around them, oh God, because they need to feel a touch from you right now, oh God. Speak, oh God, like never before. Let them see you, oh God, in a new perspective, oh God. Take scales off their eyes so they can see you, oh God, in all of your glory and all of your splendor, oh God, because you are a great father. Jesus, hallelujah. I bless your name, oh God. God, you are Alpha and Omega, you the beginning and the end. There's no in between. Thank you, oh God, for hearing this prayer. Cover every listener, protect their minds, oh God. Protect their bodies, oh God. Protect their homes and their families, oh God. Whoever's worrying about their children, let them know their kids are gonna be alright. Who's worrying about they headed to divorce court? Let them know it's gonna be alright. For the ones who just don't understand and don't know what's going on in their life, let them know that everything's gonna be alright. God, give them a word. Give them a word, oh God. Speak, speak, oh God. They're listening, they're crying out to you. Speak, oh God, give them a word like never before. Hallelujah, we bless your name. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. We bless your name. Oh God, you're so great, you're so wonderful, you're so powerful. Hallelujah, oh God. We bless your name, oh God. Thank you, oh God, for coming in the room. Thank you, oh God, for hearing and answering prayers. Thank you, oh God, for hearing what we're going through, oh God, and saying, I got you. You're okay, I'm protecting you. You're going to get through this. You're not just going to live in it, you're going to get through it. Thank you, oh God, for being our shepherd. It's in your darling son, Jesus Christ's name. We pray. Amen. Thank you, oh God, for your presence. Thank you, oh God, for your word. Honey Father, I just pray you continue to be with each of us tonight. Help them to lay down in peace. Help them lay down and rest. God, I pray that you lay down with them and this be the best sleep that they done had in a long time. God, fill their room with peace, prophecies, visions, and dreams. And they're gonna know that you came in the room while they were asleep. God, speak to them right now. God, I thank you for this moment. I thank you, oh God, for being here. Thank you, oh God. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I acknowledge that you're in the room. Lord, have your way. God, have your way, have your way, have your way, oh God. Speak, oh God, for we are listening. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. We bless your name. Everything's gonna be alright. Thank you, oh God, for coming in the room. This is our Current Let's Pray Ministries. Have a blessed evening. Be in the presence of the Lord and know that He is your shepherd, and you shall not want. For God is in the room. Have a good evening. Hallelujah. Amen. And good night.