“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (v1-6)
I realize this passage is a little commonplace for most people, so I won’t over-analyze it too much. My main takeaway is that I long to experience this complete trust and comfort in the Lord as David talks about. I have experienced glimpses of this kind of relationship with God, and I long for it to be more consistent.
What I’d like to offer is a prayer of hope. I have rewritten this Psalm below in my own words, and I would encourage you to do the same. I would then suggest praying this as a proclamation, assuming it to be true in this present moment, even if you don’t feel that it is true. I believe that by continually praying this Psalm (or a personalized version of it) over and over again, it will eventually become true for us, because we have entrusted ourselves to God by consistently submitting to Him in prayer.
“You, my Lord are my guide, protector and provider. In You and with You I experience peace and safety. Your boundaries and guidelines are for my protection, and I don’t have anything to fear, for You are my comforter and shield. No evil can snatch me from Your hand, even when I am behind enemy lines. You abundantly bless me every day of my life, out of Your love for me. I will dwell in Your presence for all eternity.” (Psa 23 par)
~ Conqueror in Training