Introduction

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever. – Psalm 23

This Psalm is usually brought up when talking about the Lord’s care for us. There are just so many fundamental truths in this song of David. It uses two images: the Lord as a Shepherd who cares for his sheep and the Lord as a host caring for his guest. There is so much beauty in this Psalm, we could spend days just dissecting each verse to see God’s provision and love for us.

Spurgeon says this of verse 1 alone:

The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, “My.” He does not say, “The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock,” but “The Lord is my shepherd;” if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me.” The words are in the present tense. Whatever be the believer’s position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah.

The Lord is MY Shepherd. We know how mind-blowing this is because we hear from Jesus himself in Luke 15:3-7:

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Thankfully, we have a God willing to pursue us, guide us, lay down his life for us, prepare a place for us and truly love us!

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. – John 10:11

Adoration

Father God, You are the Great Shepherd! You are good, holy, and righteous! All that we have here on earth was spoken into existence from your breath! May we worship you. May we adore you. May we bow and hold your name most high! Amen

Confession

“O Father, we are gathered before you, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, whose chosen dwelling place is with the broken and contrite, to confess that we have sinned in thought and word and deed; we have not loved you with all our heart and soul, we have not loved you with all our mind and strength; we have not even loved our neighbor as ourselves. In your mercy, deepen our sorrow for the wrong we have done and for the good we have left undone, so that we may hate our sin with a holy hatred. But, please Father, do not leave us in sorrow. With you, O Lord, there is forgiveness. In your mercy,restore the joy of our salvation; so that we may love you with a holy love. Amen. ” – Missio Dei Confessional.

Thanksgiving

Oh Great Shepherd, thank you for being so, so good to us! Thank you for leading us. Thank you for guiding us. Thank you for teaching us to be still when need to be and when to follow. Thank you for your endless mercy while we walk alongside you. Thank you for your discipline, endless provisions and grace and willingness to pursue us when we go astray. Thank you for preparing a place for us alongside the Father. Thank you for dying for our sins as the ultimate sacrifice. Amen.

Supplication

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! – Matthew 7:7-11

Lift up your family requests. How can we pray for you today?

Local Church
Pray that your local church continues to be a light for the community, that the church shares the love of God to the ends of the earth. Pray that the local church becomes a new home for many this Easter Sunday! Pray that those within the church who are sick stay healthy.

Community

Pray for your community, that the lost are found and the found grow closer to the Lord. Pray that natural disasters cause no damage and that God’s community is protected from harm.

World
Pray for the Ukraine/Russia Conflict. Pray for softening of hearts, persevering of the saints, provisions and safety of civilians, God’s glory to be shown throughout the war. Pray that Russian elites have courage and stand up to Putin to overthrow him during this time and bring peace to the region. Pray that those displaced can return home soon. Pray for the financial consequences of war on society that God continues to meets the needs of His people. Pray for those who are hurting internationally and nationally. Pray for the missionaries carrying out the message of God.