Psalm 100: Living the Psalms Daily Book Review

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 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".

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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. In Living the Psalms focus on Psalm 100, 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 God's presence?

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 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 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

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.

Psalm 100:5

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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqkW19B0d3g

By incorporating the Psalms into your prayers you will find it easier to live a life of praise. Mr. Swindoll's book can be a tool to living the life you have always wanted that will please God.

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.