tonight was fantastic. thursday nights have quickly become one of my favorite things. to top it off i had an awesome time with leah kathryn just sharing about what God is teaching us and wondering and dreaming about Him.
already in verse 1 david is saying GOD C’MON answer me already…please answer me…i’m desperate.
at the end of the verse we see david’s prayer…give ME relief from MY distress…be merciful to ME and hear MY prayer. i don’t think praying that stuff is bad…i think that we’re supposed to lift up our troubles and pleas and requests to God. the Bible tells me so. but i do wonder about praying prayers like this.
i wonder if praying prayers like this keeps us from receiving the blessing of praising, glorifying, and worshiping God. i don’t know about you but when i’m praying stuff that sounds like oooh help me, i’m so bad off, help me, teach me, give me, me, me, me i don’t always leave that time of prayer or worship feeling blessed…in fact, when i spend time in prayer like THAT i tend to leave broken, sad, wallowing in self pity, frustrated, and certainly without much hope that things will look up. i forget which one of us is God and which One of us is in control. and to top that all off…i leave mad at myself for spending time in worship worshipping myself.
but when i lose myself in praise of God, i come away not only feeling good, but KNOWING that the God on my side is BIG, HUGE, AMAZING, POWERFUL, WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, LOVING…my problems seem much smaller compared to the size of the God that i know. it’s losing myself in worship of HIM and who HE IS that reminds me that He will never fail me, and that nothing is too big for MY God. when i can withdraw from my surroundings, turn off my distractions, and allow JESUS to captivate my thoughts i feel like i really CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST. nothing seems out of reach because when i spend time in prayer PRAISING AND WORSHIPPING El Shaddai i am ready to strip off every weight, thought, and sin that holds me down.
so why do i spend time praying about poor pitiful me? right now that seems so silly…
so what do we do instead?! because it says CRY OUT TO THE LORD…and He will hear. but maybe our cries should be for Him to show Himself so that we can be released from the grip of ourselves. i believe it is scriptural to cry out…to be emotional…and present your requests and cries to the Lord. but maybe, like david did here in psalm 4:1 it should be short…and sweet…and move onto the part declaring that the Lord HEARS His Beloved, praise Him, and allow our hearts to be filled with great joy (4:7).
this is a short psalm. it starts off with david clearly crying out for relief…but just 8 short verses later he will lie down in peace. he knows. david is confident. this has been consistent in the first 4 chapters…his hope, his comfort, his safety rest not in his army, but in the arms of the Lord that are not too short to save.
i feel like i can’t quit without focusing on verses 4 and 5 too. in verse 2 he clarifies that he is talking to the men. (he does that by saying how long O, MEN…) so at least these 4 verses are talking to them. but i have to wonder if david is declaring to them or himself, or possibly both that God has set apart the godly for Himself. is he telling the men or HIMSELF don’t sin in your anger, go be still, make sure your prayers, worship, sacrifices, acts are all blessing the LORD. it’s like he’s giving himself a little pep talk too maybe, “ok david, i know you’re angry, scared, mad, exhausted…don’t do anything you’re gonna regret in the morning. GOD IS IN CONTROL. TRUST HIM.”
Our Father, who art in Heaven
hallowed by Thy Name
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven
(Will You) give us this day our daily bread
(Will You) forgive ME as i forgive those who sin against me
(Will You) deliver me from the evil one
for Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory forever and ever.
let us remember the words of Jesus…this is how you should pray. i don’t want to pray this prayer as a memorized recitation…but i want to pray this way, with passion, hope, and thanksgiving KNOWING the One i’m praying to. knowing that His Will IS the best way and BELIEVING that i KNOW the One to whom all power and glory belongs forever and ever. in prayer i don’t want to focus on my woes…i have them…and i fall into them a lot of the time. i fail miserably at losing myself in worship. i am selfish and ask for what i want too much, but today i’m going to choose to praise Him for all that He’s done and all that is still to come. i want to tap into the POWER that belongs to Him…
what if we prayed like that…