Something to Pray For - Without Ceasing

A little Lord's Supper devotional I gave a while back...
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I just wanted to share a prayer of David from Psalm 25 that would not be a horrible thing for us to remember and pray for ourselves daily.

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. (Psalms 25:1-5 ESV)

I gleaned some tidbits of info on this section from the words of John Calvin, and added some additional comments of my own:

The Psalmist declares at the very outset, that he is not driven here and there, after the manner of the ungodly, but that he directs all his desires and prayers to God alone. Nothing is more inconsistent with true and sincere prayer to God, than to waver and gaze about as the heathen do, for some help from the world, and at the same time to forsake God, or not to betake ourselves directly to his guardianship and protection.

The same can be said when we rely on our own ways and thoughts, and do not look to the Lord and His word for guidance. 

David goes on to ask to be shown the ways of the Lord, the path of truth. He is asking to be kept in the full persuasion of the promises, and to be kept from turning aside to the left or right. 

When our minds are thus composed to patience, we undertake nothing rashly or by improper means, but depend wholly upon the providence of God. Accordingly, in this place David desires not merely to be directed by the Spirit of God, lest he should err from the right way, but also that God would clearly manifest to him his truth and faithfulness in the promise of his word, that he might live in peace before him, and be free from all impatience.

This is indeed tough for most of us these days, when things move so quickly and decisions are made in haste, we often simply jump at things and patience is rarely practiced. 

Although (David) frequently repeats the same thing, asking that God would make him to know his ways, and teach him in them, and lead him in his truth, yet there is no redundancy in these forms of speech. Our adversities are often like mists which darken the eyes; and everyone knows from his own experience how difficult a thing it is, while these clouds of darkness continue, to discern in what way we ought to walk.

But if David, so distinguished a prophet and endued with so much wisdom, stood in need of divine instruction, what shall become of us if, in our affliction, God dispel not from our minds those clouds of darkness which prevent us from seeing his light? 

As often, then, as any temptation may assail us, we ought always to pray that God would make the light of the truth to shine upon us, lest by having recourse to sinful devices, we should go astray, and wander into devious and forbidden paths.