Reading Psalm 119 in my quiet time the last couple days has reminded me of some advice John Piper provides in his book, When I Don’t Desire God. On page 150, he writes:

“Almost every day I pray in the morning that God would give me desires for him and his Word, because the deisres I ought to have are absent or weak. In fact, I follow the acronym myself that I have given many people to help them fight for joy. The acronym is I O U S. It is very limited and focused. It’s not all we should pray for… Here’s the way I pray over the Word in my fight for joy.”

He then explains that praying some or all of the following verses each morning help him fight for joy. They’ve helped me, too:

“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” Psalm 119:36

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Psalm 119:18

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” Psalm 86:11

“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14

Praying these verses before you sit down with your Bible isn’t a magic formula - reading them won’t guarantee that you have some dynamic experience. But these verses are a helpful guide to help you bend your soul towards the Savior. Enjoy.

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