Bible Chapter: Psalms 65 & 66

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    God is always ready to receive praise. He is always worthy to receive praise. He is the one who hears our prayer and it is a normal thing for people to reach out to God.  It is a universal thing for people to pray.  Unfortunately, many don’t know where to direct their prayer. Possibly the most blessed place a person can be is to be in the presence of God. It is there that we find great satisfaction in the awesome presence of God. Our loving God is the one who hears and answers prayer. He is our source of provision.  He waters the earth and crops grow. He is worthy of our praise.
    The psalmist here encourages people to make a joyful shout to the Lord. It seems like people are very willing to make an excited shout at a ball game but are afraid to make noise in praise to God. When we see the great works of God and the awesome things He does, we see that He is worthy of our praise. So all of God’s people need to bless the Lord. The psalmist expressed his desire to bring sacrifice and worship to the Lord.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    The 66th Psalm ends with a challenging thought. The psalmist said that if he would regard iniquity in his heart the Lord would not hear him. I have observed that it is very easy for people, even some Christians, to allow sinful thoughts and desires to reside in their hearts. I am not talking about temptation or fleeting thoughts, but the desire to be involved with something sinful and try to figure out a way to get away with it. The one who does this will certainly block their prayers. This is a good lesson for when it seems like it would be easy to get away with something sinful.

3.  How can I help someone?
    How close can you get to God? This is a good question to continue to ask. In helping people I want to help them get close to God. God is always worthy to receive our praise and ready to hear our prayers. Always remember this.