Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Psalm 97:7
“All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols — worship Him, all you gods!”
Understand:
In this verse, the psalmist is warning us that when we are worshiping idols–of looking good or being bright or having power or exerting influence–that we’ve put our hope in a god that has no power to rescue and redeem. To make it even worse, when we need to be rescued, they do nothing but mock our cry for help!
The psalmist wants us to know that God alone is the one who brings stability, not idols. These idols are unsuitable and bound to fail; they are incapable of rescuing. To drive the point home, the psalmist calls for the gods to worship God!
Shame can be a key indicator that something, like these idols, is maneuvering to take priority in our life. It can expose what we are worshiping.
Apply:
Take a moment and think about your life. What brings you shame? What is keeping your heart from seeing the real cause of your shame? Ask God to expose ways that you have foolishly trusted in idols that will inevitably fail you.
Let God draw you toward Himself; let Him tenderly care for you as you experience the comfort of forgiveness.
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.) Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.