Psalm 119:1-8

Psalm 119:1-8
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I doubt that many of us would say out way is blameless.  Most of us would probably claim that we desire to follow the way of the Lord, but that so many distractions get in the way.  It's like a diet -- we start out with the best of intentions, but old habits are hard to shake.  Ever try to diet around Christmas?  Every sugar cookie and piece of chocolate will find its way to you!  Even when we don't dramatically fall off the wagon, it's easy to let things slide a little.
  And so we pray -- and there are two sides to this prayer.  The first is for the courage and wisdom to seek the Lord above all else.  The second is to recognize the benefits of doing so.  If we can see how rich our lives will be when we seek God, we're more motivated to set aside time to praise him.  If we can recognize that the peace and blessings of God will be more palpable the more we focus on him, it helps focus our minds and hearts on serving and praising the Lord.