“You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may go well with you, that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.”
– Deuteronomy 5:33
Now, just as a reminder, Deuteronomy means second law. So it’s, in a sense, the recounting of God’s law that we’ve already seen in the Bible back in Exodus. So Deuteronomy chapter five is a recounting specifically of the 10 Commandments. Starting in verse six, you see the 10 Commandments listed out and Moses is recounting before the people, as they’re preparing to enter into the Promised Land, what God has already said. And you get to the very last verse in this chapter, Deuteronomy chapter five, verse 33, and Moses says, “You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you.”
God, help us to be faithful to share your word with others that they might experience life now and forever.
Deuteronomy 5:33 Leads Us to Walk in the Way of the Lord
And then listen to these four words. It’s what I want us to focus on praying according to today. So, “Walk in all the way the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live.” That you may live. You think about what that meant, even for these people standing on the edge of the Promised Land, who have just seen an entire generation die.
Why? Because that entire generation, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, did not walk in the way the Lord had commanded them. They turned aside from the way that the Lord had commanded them and they all died. And God is saying, “Now you, you have these commands from the Lord. Walk in them that you may live.”
Like your life is dependent on obeying the commands of God. And I would say, based on the whole of God’s word, the same exact thing to each one of us today. Our lives depend on obeying the commands of God, that true life, eternal life, real life is found in obedience to God’s word.
Deuteronomy 5:33 Helps Us to Obey God’s Word
And so we pray: God, help us today to live obeying your word. God help us not to be duped, to be deceived, to be fooled by the adversary into thinking that our plans for our life are better than yours, that our ways are better than your ways, that when we go after the ways of this world, that we will experience life.
God, please help us to realize all day today, in every decision we make, that life is found in obeying you and honoring you and glorifying you and seeking you in doing, thinking, desiring, speaking according to your word, that this is where life is found and everything else leads to death, that your word alone leads to life.
Lead to Pray for the Sutradhar People of Bangladesh
And in this, oh God, we pray that you would help us to faithfully proclaim your word to others, that they might know life. God, we pray for people we live with, around, work with or around, God, we’ll interact with today. God, help us to be faithful to share your word with others, that they might experience life, life now and life forever. And God, we pray for people around the world who have no access to your word right now.
God, we pray for the Sutradhar people of Bangladesh. God, no known followers of Jesus among this Hindu people group, they don’t have your word. They don’t have that which is necessary for life. God, we pray that someone would spread the gospel to the Sutradhar people of Bangladesh. And thousands of other people groups like them.
God, we pray knowing that your word is life. That your word brings life, that without your word, we do not have life. Without your word, we experience eternal death. God, we pray for the spread of your word through us, that others might know life. And God, we pray that you would help us to live today in obedience to your word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
