Prayer Guide: Psalm 95

Prayer Guide: Psalm 95

Psalm 95 is one of my favourite psalms. It begins with praise and worship. It is good for us to praise God.

And the psalmist records a number of reasons for why God is praiseworthy:

God has

• established himself above all other gods (3)
• formed creation by his own power (4, 5)
• shephered us as his own flock (6, 7)

These are all praiseworthy things God has done for us.

But then the psalm takes a turn (8-11), and it begins to challenge us about our receptivity to God’s gifts.

“Today, if only you would hear his voice, [d]o not harden your hearts…”

The psalmist details the ordeal of the Israelites in the wilderness, who hardened their hearts against God by refusing to listen to him.

The result? “They shall never enter my rest” (11).

We have a choice in our relationship with God. It can be one-sided, where God gives and gives and gives until he shuts it off because it is unreciprocated, or we can soften our hearts, listen to him, and submit ourselves to our shepherd.

​The choice is yours. Pray well this week.