Devotional Bible Study: one thing have I desired of the lord | Psalm 27:4-5.
Welcome to Day 7. for one of our short powerful devotions from the 31 Bible Verses About Practicing The Presence Of God. This short devotional is based on Psalm 27:4-5.
Read Psalm 27:4-5.
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
To behold the [a]beauty of the Lord,
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall set me high upon a rock.
This is another beautiful Bible verse from the book of Psalms. It is also a fabulous one to use in prayer, so make sure to join me at the bottom of the post for a Psalm 27 prayer.
Psalm 27 is another Psalm that was written by David. We discussed in yesterday's devotional that David is known as “a man after God’s own heart” but that he wasn't perfect. He messed up quite a lot just like we do!
David's top priority in life was his relationship with God. David had many enemies and he was often on the run and needing refuge. Despite the stress of his circumstances, he sought refuge in the Lord. He had confidence in God. He was pursued, attacked, besieged, threatened, accused and at times he must have been overwhelmed with his circumstances. But his one thing that David desired even in the midst of fear and heartbreak was to dwell in the house of the lord and to behold the beauty of the lord, all the days of his life.
David's trust was in the Lord. He believed that He would deliver him. Psalm 27 ends with his quiet confidence that Yahweh would strengthen his heart and ours if we wait for and expect Him to act on our behalf.
Psalm 27:14.
Join me below for a short powerful devotional as we unpack all the scriptural truth in Psalm 27:4-5 and apply it to our lives.
Short Devotional:
If you could ask God for only one thing, what would it be?
David's heart desire was to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life and to behold the beauty of the Lord. His heart's desire was to dwell in God's presence forevermore and to know Him intimately.
Is that your heart's desire?
I use Psalm 27:4 as my barometer. I try to check the temperature of my heart toward God regularly. If I don't think that my heart's desire to dwell in the house of the Lord is a top priority, then I actively seek to make room in my life to seek God's presence more.
We read in James 4:8 that if we draw close to God, He will draw close to us. God wants us to have a heart's desire to dwell in His presence and to gaze upon His beauty. God desires a relationship with you and me. Did you notice the reward that you receive when you 'dwell in the house of the Lord?'
Psalm 27:5
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall set me high upon a rock."
God is our shelter, our secret retreat! When we dwell in Him we are safe and secure. God will lift us up high upon a rock. When we seek His presence, we are in a position to hear God speak to our hearts. You will sense God's guidance and His direction. As you seek God's presence, you will recognize His prompts. If you are about to make serious decisions and you lose your peace that is a strong indicator that you may be about to make the wrong decision. But you will only recognize God speaking to you from being in His presence and gazing on His beauty!
So to help you dwell in God's presence I have created a free printable with 31 scriptures on Practicing The Presence Of God, a guided prayer journal to help you go deeper with each verse and to help you unpack what God is saying to you through each verse.
Today's devotional is based on Psalm 27:4-5 which is from our Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures Plan. You will find a free printable PDF of 31 scriptures about God's presence in the Resource Library. It has a bible reading plan, guided prayer, and gratitude journal. Download this free printable or grab a notebook.
What is God saying to you through this verse?
What burdens do you need to surrender to God and trust Him with?
Write out your prayer request.
What are you grateful for today? Count your blessings!
Write out the scripture verse, it helps you to memorize the scripture and store up God's truth in your heart. Then in the last section of the prayer journal, there is space to record what God is speaking to you through our bible verse today, Psalm 27:4-5.
Scripture Prayer
We are called to pray without ceasing. That means we can talk with God at any time and in any place. This is a great way to practice the presence of God. Praying scripture is a powerful way to pray so join me in praying Psalm 27:4-5.
Father, thank you so much for sending Jesus to die on the cross, so that He paid the price for my sin. Now I can come into Your presence, to dwell in the house of the Lord and to gaze upon Your beauty. Thank you for providing mercy and eternal life. Thank you that in my times of trouble, You will hide me in Your presence. You set my feet upon a high rock and You will protect me through life's storms. When my passion for you dims, call me back to You. Don't let my heart grow cold. Fill me with such a deep yearning to seek Your presence and a desire to dwell in the house of the Lord and to gaze upon Your beauty. Amen.
Related Resources:
You will find Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures HERE. It will have the list of 31 Bible verses that we are using for 31 days that our short powerful daily devotionals are based on.
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xx Karen.