This document provides a plan for a season of prayer focused on gladness. It includes reflections on a Psalm about the blessings of forgiveness. The plan consists of reading passages from the Psalm and contemplating questions to help connect with God and experience gladness. Additional exercises are suggested, such as listing the blessings of forgiveness or singing songs of praise to God. The goal is to spend time fellowshipping with God and rediscover joy through realizing what sin does and the blessings of forgiveness.

1. Be GladA Season of Prayer
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Prayer is serious business. Prayer is also foundational to joy, gladness,
celebration and enjoying life in general. Those who pray much should also be
enjoyable to be around, full of hope and rejoicing in what God has done. Sadly,
much of our prayer time is focused on fixing problems or interceding for the
never ending needs of our world. Prayer can turn into a time of endless burden
bearing and refreshing, joy and gladness can flee away. Sure, life is not all
about being happy, but some of it is. Even some of our prayer times should
center on delighting ourselves in God.
The following prayer plan is focused on gladness. Strangely, in God’s agenda,
gladness is discovered through the realization of what sin does and the blessings
that forgiveness brings. In just a short while from now, your gladness can
increase and the weight of this world can be reduced off your shoulders. God
has grace for you. Grace to give you hope and encourage your spirit, to break
the power of past failures. Your soul can be renewed as you wait on God and
ponder what He has done for you.
How To
As you go through the following passages of Scripture and reflections spend
time where you feel the Holy Spirit is connecting you with the Father. If an
exercise does not help you connect, just more on to the next one. The goal is not
the finish, but to fellowship with God and have gladness arise in our soul.
Prayer is conversation and communion with God. So use the Scriptures to talk
with God. Seek God’s perspective and insights. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Be
patient with yourself and God, allowing time for the conversation to unfold.
Special Note to those whose life is hard.
Sometimes life is hard, and we just don’t have the energy to invest in pressing
into God. The power of pain and anxiety can distract us, rob us of the hope of
ever encountering the Lord. Prolonged pain can embitter our soul, causing
anger toward God for allowing or not removing our pain. If you are in that
place do not despair. Instead, just focus on the first verse. Read and recite these
twelve words as you rest in the Lord. Even if you are depressed or defeated,
simply give your weakness to God and position yourself in His hands as you
offer back to God His words on blessings and forgiveness.

2. Rodney A Drury rodneydrury.blogspot.com
Peoria Prayer Center peoriaprayercenter.blogspot.com
Psalm 32:1-11i A Psalm of David. A Maskil.
Focus 1
(1) How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! (2) How
blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit
there is no deceit! (3) When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through
my groaning all day long. (4) For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My
vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.
 Words to Ponder
o Blessed
o Forgiven
 What happens when you confess and turn from your sin?
 What happens when you hold onto your sin, forgetting about it or trying to deal
with it by neglect?
 Why does God seek to remove sin from our lives? What is God seeking to do by
having us live forgiven lives?
Focus 2
(5) I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
 Words to Ponder
o Acknowledge
o Confess
o Guilt
 Make a list of specific sins you would desire for God to remove from your life.
Now ask God to forgive you and acknowledge His loving kindness to you
expressed in forgiveness.
 What sins and guilt are you glad to get rid of?

3. Be GladA Season of Prayer
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Focus 3
(6) Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. (7) You are my hiding place;
You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
 Ponder the idea that a time may come when you are in need of God and yet God is
not to be found.
o Do you tend to neglect God until you need Him?
o Do you value what God offers you today or do you assume it will always be
there?
o How can you rejoice today because today you are able to find the Lord,
forgiveness and the removal of guilt?
 Are you glad that God has made a way for you to talk to Him, to have fellowship
and conversations with Him?
 In Scripture, “waters” is an image of people of humanity at times. How would a
flood of people, the demands and issues of people keep you from reaching the
Lord?
Focus 4
(8) I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you
with My eye upon you. (9) Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no
understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you. (10) Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But
he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him. (11) Be glad in the
LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in
heart.
 The bit and bridle control by controlling the mouth. In what ways does our
mouth, what we say, affect our gladness? How do your words keep you away from
God?
 Compare and contrast the rewards and the sorrows of those who live life the way
God intends.
 How does God instruct and teach you?
 Lovingkindness surrounds you. Instead of darkness, troubles and fear,,
lovingkindness is what every believer is surrounded by. Is that your world view?
Should it be?
 How has this season of prayer and scripture helped you rediscover joy, gladness
and delight in what God provides for you today?

4. Rodney A Drury rodneydrury.blogspot.com
Peoria Prayer Center peoriaprayercenter.blogspot.com
Additional Exercises
1. Take the words “blessed” and “forgiven” and make a list of words describing each
word. IE: B = belong to God, L = loved, E = empowered by His spirit, S = Sacrificed
Himself for me, S = Suffered for me, D = Delivers me from all evil.
2. Go back over the Psalm and write a short phrase or prayer that summarizes each
section. When you are done you will have four short prayers that can help you live a
life of gladness.
3. Go back through the Psalm and pick out the phrases that specifically call you to joy,
gladness and rejoicing. Summarize or rewrite these statements so that you can easily
hold them in your mind.
4. Make a list of all the things you enjoy because you are forgiven.
5. God is our hiding place and preserves us in times of trouble. How do you hide in the
Lord? Are you aware of how you hide in God and how would you describe that to
others to help them find shelter in God also? In what ways does God preserve you?
How has God taken you through, around, and over situations? How does God
preserve you in the midst of situations?
6. Use the Psalm as a songbook but you must create the tune or music yourself. Sing to
the Lord a new song. Sing with thanksgiving and joy. Celebrate what God has done
for you.
7. Make a list of questions that are answered in this Psalm. Questions like “who is
blessed by the Lord” and “what does unconfessed sin do to your body?” This list is a
simple way to ponder God’s truth and provision.
8. Go through the Psalm and choose several words that impact you from this passage.
Write one word on a different sticky note or note paper and post them around your
home or office for a week. When you see the note take a moment and be glad for
what God has done.
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"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®
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