Shining Through the Psalms

By systematically reading the psalms and their accompanying devotion, you'll receive practical application for daily living. Each devotion is divided into four parts:

 ● Reading the Selected Psalm

● Reading the Devotion

 ● Making Personal application

● Giving Praises and Thanksgiving to God

To read The Selected Psalm use a Bible version you're comfortable with and easily understand. There are many on the market from which to choose. In this book, all Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted. Most often, the noted Scriptures will be from the ESV, NIV, NKJV, and NLT.

Prior to reading the psalm, pray and ask God to guide your thoughts. Ask God to reveal Himself to you and to provide in-sight and understanding. Ask Him to open your eyes to see what He wants you to see. After the devotion, talk openly with God about what you read, how you feel, what was confusing, surprising, what you liked, or didn't like. Be honest with God. He already knows your thoughts. Our awesome God bends low and inclines His ear to listen. I encourage you to read the additional scriptures and references in the Read the Devotion section. There's no substitute for reading God's words for yourself. Underline special verses. Write them on paper, index cards, and sticky notes. Write them on your heart.

Make It Personal is the section where you consider what the psalm and the devotion mean to you personally. Reflect on how they apply to your daily life. The Bible gives directions on how to live. Personal application is the beginning step to a victorious life. Embrace it.

Praise and Thanksgiving are a focal point throughout the book of Psalms. This section offers you the opportunity to praise and thank God for what He is doing in your life. Praising God and thanking Him are similar, yet, they carry significant differences in their meaning and application. Both bring glory to God.

Praise is the act of complimenting God for who He truly is - His attributes and excellence. We praise God for what He has done for all people, apart from what He has done for us personally. Praise is acknowledging His perfections and admiring God. As we gain insight into God's character, praise flows more freely. Thanksgiving is expressing appreciation for what God has done for us - His specific gifts and the blessings He has lavished on us and on others - past and present. Thanking God comes from a place of gratitude. It is the core of your thanksgiving. There is a place at the end of each devotional to record your answers to Make It Personal, and Today I Bring Praise and Thanksgiving For.