April 4: Morning Prayer and Meditation on Psalm 34:11-16

Our precious Heavenly Father. We can learn the fear of the Lord only from You and
never from the precept of men. You have made our Lord Jesus to be wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption which is His gift to us by the Holy
Spirit. You have shown us what is good, what makes life desirable, rich and full.

Set a seal upon our lips, Dear Father, that evil will not be found on them; nor hypocrisy
nor self-deceit. We so easily deceive ourselves and You withdraw from us when we
love lies and wickedness.

Even if we are blind and silly, You are our Father in Heaven and know the difference
between the evil and the good. Your eyes are upon the righteous of the earth, those
who trust in Your Son, Jesus of Nazareth, and Your ears hear their prayers when they
cry to You for mercy and wisdom.

You also know those who are evil, who do not believe and whose mouths are filled
with filthy blasphemies against You and Your people. They will not be remembered in
the earth, for You will cut them off. You turn Your face from them as Your blessed
Apostle Paul wrote, “If any love not the Lord Jesus, let him be accursed at His
coming,” for guile and vain pretense are exposed by a hard heart that does not love
Christ and His people.

But we do love the Lord Jesus, Your Son, because of the blood of His cross, which is
foolishness to those lost in their sins and misery. And we do love Your People,
Precious Father, and will by Your grace forever. In the Name of the Lord Jesus, Your
only begotten Son, Amen.
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11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of
them from the earth. from Psalm 34