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At Sandals Church, our vision is to be real with ourselves, God and others. This channel features sermons and teaching from Pastor Matt Brown and other members of the Sandals Church preaching team. You can find sermon notes, videos and more content at http://sandalschurch.com/watch
For whatever reason, I have always struggled to pray. And so as this new year begins and as many of you think about new routines that you wanna give yourself to, especially for those of you who follow Jesus, I wanna invite you to learn to pray the Psalms with us. It's a practice I picked up years ago that really saved, my ability to learn to pray, to speak to God honestly about how I was feeling and what I was thinking. And so every single day on sandalschurch.tv on YouTube, we're gonna be releasing, praying the Psalms, a Psalm a day. We started in January 1, and every day you're gonna get a new Psalm with the opportunity to read the Psalm with us, to reflect on a phrase, and then to respond to God in prayer, how to pray through the Psalms.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:This has been a gift to me in my own journey with Jesus. I pray that it's a gift to you, and so would you join us. Grace and peace. As we continue praying the Psalms, we come now to Psalm 45. Beautiful words stir my heart, the Psalmist says.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet. You are the most handsome of all. Gracious words stream from your lips. God himself has blessed you forever. Put on your sword, oh mighty warrior.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:You are so glorious, so majestic. In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth and humility and justice. Go forth to perform awe inspiring deeds. Your arrows are sharp, piercing enemies' hearts. Your throne, oh God, endures forever and ever.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:Down at verse 10. Listen to me, oh royal daughter. Take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away, for your royal husband delights in your beauty. Honor him, for he is your lord.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:The prince of Tyre will shower you with gifts. The wealthy will beg your favor. The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown. In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king accompanied by her bridesmaids. What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as they enter the king's palace.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:Your sons will become kings like their father. You will make them rulers over many lands. I will bring honor to your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever. This psalm really serves as a unique kind of procession song.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:In other words, it's a prayer and a piece of music that would have been connected to a moment of celebration, to a ceremony between a husband and a wife. And we're drawn on this picture of how God, brings about his anointing on the king, and then ushers in the bride to receive her king. It's both a picture of how God leads us, but it's also an invitation to consider how our earthly relationships are to reflect this kind of rulership, this kind of love and joy and commitment. For husbands and wives, this is a wonderful reminder that you are committed to each other. Why?
Pastor Fredo Ramos:Because God is ultimately committed to you. He is the greatest spouse. He is the one who loves you and fights for you and defends you all the days of your life. For those who are looking for commitment, this is a reminder, a prayer that reminds you of the kind of commitment and the beautiful picture that does exist for those who fear ultimately the Lord above all of their relationships. And so as you go about your day and you hear how maybe God would move you to pray, we are reminded that relationships are treasured by God.
Pastor Fredo Ramos:And, Lord, we hear you inviting us to consider the weightiness of our relationships, to realize that there is a beautiful procession coming as king Jesus invites us, the bride, his church, to come and be known by him. And so, god, I pray that as we find our identity as someone who is deeply loved by you, Jesus, that it would actually lead us to live well into our relationships. Whether we're married or not married, that we would lead and serve well in our relationships, knowing that there is a beauty and a love and a romance that you delight in when it is done in a way that honors you. And so we offer our relationships to you today. Would you bless them in the name of Jesus we pray?
Pastor Fredo Ramos:Amen.