Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the Man

Day 1:  Psalms 1:1a

He is favored by You, O Lord. He is honored and graced by You to live this life. O, Lord, You know me. Help me, by the power and grace of the resurrected Lord Jesus and the ministry Your Holy Spirit within me and by the force of my renewed will, to will and to work to do Your good pleasure. Help me to live in awe of You – with fear and trembling because You are at work in my soul to bless me, to bless my children and all those with me and around me (Philippians 2:12-13).

Lord, bless us and teach us what it means to be blessed as You said in the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain (Matthew 5:1-14; Luke 6:20-28). We have not earned this blessedness, but received it as a gift in and through Your Son, our Savior! Blessed are the poor in spirit – those who know they do not have enough passion or spirit, who say with Peter; “Lord, You know my love is only a phila love, not an agape love” (John 21:17).

Blessed are those who mourn over their sin and the sin around them (Matthew 5:4). O Lord, I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5). Lord, I repent of my pride (Proverbs 16:19), jealousy (Proverbs 27:4), and foolishness (I Kings 8:46). O wretched man that I am; who shall deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God for the deliverance in Jesus (Romans 7:24-25). 

Blessed are the meek – who see God and themselves the way they really are (Matthew 5:5). They do not put themselves higher than they are (Romans 12:3).

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness in their soul– in our soul and in my soul. Blessed are those who want things to be right and done in righteousness (Matthew 5:6). O Lord, let us long for truth. Let us long for You. So we pray. Augustine of Hippo was right when He observed “our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” Confessions.

Blessed are the merciful. O Lord, You have forgiven me, patiently cared for me, led me and promised to be with me all the way (Matthew 5:7). In the same way let me lead, help, and be merciful to others. Forgive me for any remnants of self-righteousness, judgmentalism, or other sins in my heart. Show me any secret sins of my heart and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24). 

Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). Lord, help me bring others to peace with You and peace with each other (Psalm 85:8).

Blessed are the ones who are persecuted for righteousness (Matthew 5:10 & 11). O Lord, how can I pray for this? Father, if it is possible take this cup from me; nevertheless Thy will, not mine, be done (Matthew 26:39). This one is favored by God–because God helped him and by God’s grace He chose to walk in the way of God and not in the ways of men (Psalm 40:1-2).

Please pray to repent of your own sin and need and to believe and receive the grace given to God’s children through the Lord Jesus Christ.