Psalm 100: "Living the Psalms" Book Review

Purchase Living the Psalms Book
Encouragement for the Soul

Psalm 100: Living the Psalms Daily
Living the Psalms isn't something that comes naturally, but it takes diligence, practice, prayer and patience. It's learning which Psalm applies to your situation and then applying it to your daily life.

Even though there are 150 psalms, this writing will focus on only one - that being Psalm 100.

Psalm 100 is a prayer psalm of praise, where we exalt the Lord our God for His goodness. It is a prayer that we are to use as an example of how to come before the Lord at any time. It is how I learned to enter into prayer and have done it ever since.
I hope that this book review will help you in understanding the blessing of Living the Psalms and that you take time to enter into God's presence in prayer on a more thankful and joyful "note". 

(Ratings are based on one to four stars with four being the best review.)

By Broadman / Holman Church Supply
Bookmarker reads as follows:


"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100

These bookmarkers are durable, inexpensive and attractive. They are great learning and witnessing tools, as well as thoughtful gifts. Standard bookmarks are 6 1/2 " x 2" and come in shrink-wrapped packages of 25.

About "Living the Psalms" by Charles Swindoll 

I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. Psalm 104:33 

Did you know there was a correct way to enter prayer?

In Living the Psalms, Charles Swindoll uses illustrations on how to take the scriptures and apply them into your daily life in this twenty-six week Bible study. Through studying God's Word, we find hope when leaning on the Psalms as an encouragement in the midst of life's problems, and are reminded that God is always with us.
This book takes you into 26 of the Psalms discussing issues such as: Compromise, discouragement, feeling overlooked, fear, integrity, uncertainty, sorrow, grief, difficult people, family, depression and more.  Living the Psalms focuses on Psalm 100, in which Dr. Swindoll specifically deals with the problems most people have when there is a lack of gratitude for what God has done for His children.
Each lesson begins with the scripture and then the lesson. It is followed with questions that help us focus on where the issue really lies and how to correct it.
You can read more about author Charles Swindoll and his work at www.insight.org.

How do we enter into the presence of God anyway?
According to the psalmist in this passage, there are several things that we are to keep in mind each time we pray or praise God. (Psalm 100:1-2)

Psalm 100 verse 1 reveals that going before the Lord is to be a joyous, happy time that is full of praise. That means it isn't supposed to be quiet or silent, but open and full of "joyful noise." The noise is the sound of our voices praising, rejoicing and blessing God. The focus is to be outward and on Him, not on ourselves, recognizing we are in the presence of the Living God.

Psalm 100 verse 2 is full of the action we are to make while in God's presence. "Gladness and singing" are two key elements of making ourselves known before God. When you were a child, do you remember how you felt when you saw someone you really loved? Perhaps it was a parent, and when you looked at them entering a room, you started shouting with joy as you ran toward them waiting to be embraced.

We are to come before God with the joy of a child as if we were running into a parent's arms while singing and making merry. I think we often forget about where we are when in prayer.

Make A Joyful Noise! by: The Rizers

Psalm 100:1-3

Psalm 100 verse 3 depicts that the writer had understanding that God is our creator and we are His. For the unsaved, they cannot comprehend that we do not belong to ourselves, but to God our creator who has given us all things to enjoy.

"Shout (Psalm 100:1-3)" Fan Video

Psalm 100:4

3 Requirements for Entering

Psalm 100 verse 4 shows us that entering into the presence of the Lord in prayer comes with protocol. We aren't to burst into God's presence begging, pleading and groveling, but are to come with gratitude.

In this part of the psalm we are given 3 requirements for entering prayer and standing before God. We must first pass through His gates. Picture your own yard or a friend's that is surrounded by a fence with a gate that gives you access to it. When we approach the gate of God, we are to be prepared to be verbal with words of thanks. It is the thanksgiving gate of Heaven we are approaching when we enter into prayer.

After we have been given entrance beyond the gate, we enter into an inner part of Heaven that is part of God's living quarters, His courtyard. This is the place in which we are to be ready to praise God for His goodness, grace and mercy that are unfailing toward those who are His. If you have tried to gain access into the inner court and have come without any praise on your lips before you start making your requests, then you might as well forget it. Think about it. How would you feel if every time you saw your child, friend or relative the first thing out of their mouth was, "gimme, gimme?" It gets old real fast, and they stop looking forward to your visits, because they are never about the other person, but always about you. Well, why wouldn't God feel the same way?

Finally, we are to come with a blessing. "You mean I can bless God?" Yes. Your words and actions can be blessings to God.

Why do we praise, offer thanks and bless the name of the Lord each time we enter prayer? The psalmist gives us the answer in verse 5, because the Lord is good, and His mercy and truth will last for eternity. It's only by His grace and mercy that we are even permitted to pray to God.

Before Jesus died on the cross for our sins, only the prophets and priests were permitted to pray to God. If they did it improperly, they died. But thank God for the blood of Jesus that has pardoned us from our sin, removing it as far as the east is from the west. With Jesus as our mediator, we are given access to the inner court of God so that we can fellowship with Him. This wasn't possible before, so in light of that shouldn't we take prayer more seriously?
 
He Has Made Me Glad - This is the version we sing in our services.

He Has Made Me Glad

Psalm 100:5

An example of how to walk it through continually is shown in verse 5.

Psalm 100 is an encouraging passage to me and it uplifts my spirit. I use this psalm daily as a prerequisite to all my prayers. Every day before going into prayer I follow the guidelines laid out before us in this scripture. By doing so it really changes how I pray, and I spend more time praying for others than I do on myself.

Here is an example of how to live the Psalm. Each prayer begins as instructed in the Word of God.

"Dear Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus I come before You. I enter Your gates with thanksgiving and into Your courts with praise.
 
Thank you (list the things you are thankful for and what good things God did for you that day.) for providing me with heat for my house and food for my table." (You can be specific.) "Thank You God for the vegetables that my neighbor left on my porch today. I praise You for giving me the money to pay for my rent and that I have a place to live. I am so grateful that I was able to get up and have the strength to do what I needed to today. Thank You for protecting me from that storm and watching over my family while I was away from them."

In your prayer time sing a song to the Lord. He loves to hear you sing even if nobody else does. I like to sing "He has made me glad", because it is actually singing Psalm 100.

After you are done singing, it's time to go into prayer for others. This is how you live the psalms, by doing what the passage says and applying it to your life. Watch and see how your prayers change and get answered when you follow the instruction manual.



My Book Review Rating:★★★★

Living the Psalms Book by Charles Swindoll: Click on the link for each product.

Do you ever find that through worry your simple problem turns into sudden anxiety or even a major crisis?  Does worry suck all the joy out of your life?

Charles Swindoll walks us through 26 of the psalms where the writer such as King David, falls into the same situations you and I deal with, yet he found a way out through learning to fellowship with God.


 

 
Also available for Living the Proverbs:
 




Links to Psalms:

·        Psalm100 Devotional
Celebration Weekend | Psalm 100:1-3 | Devotional The Journey with Ron Moore

·        Notes on Psalms  by Dr. Thomas L. Constable

·        MakeA Joyful Noise Kids Video Fun sing-a-long with Worshiphouse Kids 

 

Psalm 100 Gifts

Rejoice in the Lord Matching Items

 

Rejoice Psalm 100:2 Folder, Blue


Executive style notepad folder for office and professional use, travel, or church business.
 
Faux leather with verse Psalm 100:2, "Rejoice - Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs."
 
Includes notepad and pen. Zips closed with cross zipper pull; space for credit cards or business cards, ID window, pen loop.
 
 


Quality blue floral faux leather checkbook cover. Features include: interior slip pocket, three credit card slots, ID window, pen loop; plastic divider for duplicate checks Print on front reads: Rejoice - Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2

Matching Rejoice, Psalm 100:2 Bible Cover, Blue, Large

Floral design Bible cover with scripture verse "Rejoice: Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with Joyful songs." Psalm 100:2. Features: spine handle, zip closure with cross zipper pull, outside slip pocket, inside pen loop. Fits Bibles up to 6.5" x 9.5" x 2".

 
 http://www.christianbook.com/insulated-tumbler-with-straw-psalm-100/pd/946899?event=AFFp=&
 
God Is Faithful Psalm 100 Music Group on MP3 - 14 Songs

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