Psalm 116:3-4 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!”//

The key word is “then”

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28//

Rest is a gift and only found within Christ.

Psalm 116:1

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.//

Part of the reason I love God is because He loves me enough to listen to my feeble prayers.

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33//

Lord, give me courage to proclaim your name before others and may I never deny or disown You.

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”;

Matthew 9:28-29//

Apparently, there is a direct correlation between our faith and how God heals us.

When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

Matthew 8:28-29//

Simply knowing who Jesus is will not provide salvation. Note the demons did not declare Jesus is Lord, which is part of what must happen for us to be saved. We must also believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. The demons only saw how they could be punished, which is sometimes how the world sees God. They forego His love and gift of salvation, and they only see how they can be punished because they refuse to believe.

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:14-15//

Lord Jesus, make me as forgiving as You!

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:33-34//

Apparently, if we focus on seeking God and His righteousness first, we will be less likely to worry.

46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

Matthew 5:46-47//

Lord, help me to love others who have or who are hurting me, even when it is difficult or seemingly impossible.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Matthew 4:1//

We don’t always know God’s reason for allowing evil to come close to us, but we do know that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.