Each morning, even before I throw back the covers of my bed, I pray … not long prayers, not well-thought prayers, but still I pray. In those words, murmured in the first moments of consciousness, I thank God for a new day. I present myself to Him and ask that I will live in a way that He can use me for His purposes.
Then, there are those times of prayer when I bow my head and all that I can say is “Oh, God …” Either I do not know what to say, or perhaps I do not even know what I desire of Him, or I am too angry or sad to speak. What then?
IF I just walk away from prayer in
those moments
it is likely that a distance will creep into my relationship with Him.
In years of Pastoral ministry, I have talked with hundreds
(no exaggeration) of Christians who struggle with meaningful prayer.
Sometimes it is a misunderstanding of prayer as a one-sided conversation. It IS
important to learn to ‘wait on the Lord’ focused and silent before Him.
Often it is a struggle of faith; an inner hidden conflict with one’s self that
recognizes a gap between what is being prayed for and real faith to believe God
will respond.
And sometimes there is just a sense that we want to express ourselves to Him
more fully but lack the words.
That is when I learned to pray the Psalms.’
Borrowing that ancient, inspired text, I speak aloud to the Lord and find my
heart lifted, my mind changed. Who could improve on this prayer in times of disappointment?
"As the deer pants
for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living
God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night,
while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalm
42:1-3, NIV) I have prayed those words dozens of times.
The worship of these lines can move me into my own time of praise. "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High." (Psalm 9:1-2, NIV)
In times of failure, these words of confession have been my prayer. "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. … Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (Psalm 51:1-3, 10-12, NIV) What joy I have found in confessing both my sin and His grace to forgive!
In the 150 Psalms we find all kinds of prayers – worship and adoration, cries for help and rescue, and angry expressions of doubt and fear. So, use them as your prayer book! Let them teach you how to commune with God in a deeper, richer way. Let them lead you beyond fumbling and muttering into amazing worship.
It is my experience that praying the Psalms launches me into my own prayers, inspiring me to know God better. Christian, for us prayer is not an option. When we pray, we open up our lives to the power of God and, in ways that defy our understanding. In prayer we word WITH to build His Kingdom here on earth. How amazing is that?
Pray first, not last.
Pray often, not seldom.
Pray boldly, not tentatively.
Pray faithfully, knowing that He is faithful, even when you cannot discern His
ways or hear His voice.
Here’s the word from the Word, some prayers from the Psalms.
"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Hear my prayer,
O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with
you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were." (Psalm 39:12,
NIV) "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears
in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." (Psalm 56:8,
NLT)
"I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will
offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help. For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
in your life-giving light." (Psalm 56:12-13, NLT)
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The Prayers Of The Saints
Let these prayers of the saints
Be sweet smelling incense
Let these prayers of the saints
Be sweet smelling incense to Your heart
Matt Redman © 1998 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Amen.
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