Category: Prayer

Psalm 32 ~ You Forgave

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The confession in Psalm 32 does not strike the modern ear in the same way that it would have the ancient Hebrew’s

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my inquiry.

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord – and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (v 5)

Our evangelical heritage has trained us to be confessors, to turn our sin over to God for judgment only to receive grace. This is an act filled with danger as we can easily begin to take that grace for granted. Perhaps the next verse should make its way into our journals and our hearts;

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise they will not reach him. (v 6)

The ominous caution—while you may be found—warns against taking the privilege of confession too lightly. We can slip into a mindset that the all-aware God already knows of our transgressions and has addressed them forthwith. In taking this attitude however, we miss an important component of the confession in the humbling that comes with kneeling before the Judge and confessing. The act of lowering one’s head in respect of God’s lordship is in itself an act of trust that our survival instinct rebels against. To take our eyes off of the One who could potentially take all from us including our lives requires a deep faith in the anticipated outcome.

Better in the future to not risk the heavy hand of God, as Yahweh Himself teaches,

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. (vv 8-9)

Trust in the grace of the Lord but do not test its boundaries.

Photo by Wstryder

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Psalm 31 – How Great is Your Goodness

31 We often peer into the Bible from a safe distance, having the benefit of seeing the whole story unfold before us. In the case of the life of David, we are familiar with his rise and eventual fall. The distance can separate us from his experience in such a way that we read of his trials but say ‘he but not me.’ The achingly robust faith that he expresses in the prayer of Psalm 31 is not so easily evaded though. We question our own faith and trust in the goodness of the Lord when our lives become a spiral of unending travail and alienation, especially at the hands of others. “Where are you?” we cry out. Forsaken may even creep into our vocabulary, a slow burning doubt that our Lord truly does have us in hand. In the remaining ember of light, we encounter the core of David’s psalm. Continue reading “Psalm 31 – How Great is Your Goodness”

Psalm 25 ~ To You O Lord, I Life Up My Soul

Must God be reminded of his character and the covenant mercies that derive from it? In the prayer framework of psalm 25, David approaches the throne in prayer by voicing the grace that is God’s alone to give.

To you O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God.

Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. (vv 1-3)

It’s not so much that God needs to be reminded of who He is or what He is like. Rather, the penitent prayer is suffusing himself with the confidence that comes from rehearsing the promises of God’s goodness in times of trouble.  Here, David puts his trust in God to deal with an enemy that he did nothing to provoke. He trusts that the goodness inherent in God and the promise to shepherd His people will be the hedge of protection that surrounds David and his people.

His approach changes in the verses that follow. Continuing to recite the goodness of Yahweh, David also recognizes and seeks grace for the flaws within himself. The deep contrast is a valuable reminder to us as we enter our prayer closets.

Remember, O Lord, you great mercy and love, for they are from old.

Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs siners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. (vv 6-9)

Covenant promises are a two-way bond and they require that we not only recognize the goodness and grace that God will exhibit but also, that we recognize and catalog the flaws and corruption within ourselves. We must be penitent before the King.

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Psalm 24 ~ Who is this King of Glory?

image Who is this King of Glory?

The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in.

Who is He, this King of glory?

The Lord Almighty – he is the King of Glory. (vv 7-10)

 

Modern readers will find this short psalm following the stunning promises of the 23rd psalm and as the page turns, it is easy to get swept up in the shouts of acclamation for the Lord. We shall not diminish the praise of this psalm as we place it in its proper context as a processional liturgy. Historically, this psalm is associated with the entry of God into Zion, either at the time David returns the Ark to Jerusalem or at a later commemoration of the event. Our free church environment has largely cast aside liturgy but it serves an important purpose in leading and aligning the hearts and actions of God’s people.

As the King of Glory enters the Temple, we want to follow his train up the steps but the liturgy stops us. Who may ascend this hill of the Lord it asks. We pause to reflect on our own condition.

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?

Who may stand in his holy place?

He who has clean hands and pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to idol or swear by what is false. (vv 3 – 4)

The liturgical pace halts our thoughts to consider our condition before the altar. We seek the blessing and vindication promised in verse 5 but we must never take it for granted. Let our prayer today be two examine our heart and hands for the bits of the world that might have crept in or on and need to be cleansed before approaching the throne.

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Psalm 22 ~ Why Have You Forsaken Me? Part 2

As we read into the middle section of this psalm (vv 12 – 21) we find a poetic device at work to emphasize the only source of hope for the psalmist, salvation by the Lord. Notice how the dangers bracket the redeemer:

Bulls, Lions, Dogs

Hope in the Redeemer

Dogs, Lions, Bulls

Nearly all of us can identify with the despair of the psalmist as our troubles surround us on all sides, threatening to engulf us. The vicious nature of one’s enemies is on full display; the lions roar their deafening cry while tearing at the flesh, the horns of the bulls glisten red in the light as they snort and bring their enormous bulk closer and closer and, all the while, the snarling dogs snap and dodge, circling around their prey. Their teeth pierce the hands and feet of the besieged as he grows weaker and weaker.

I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. (vv 17-18)

There is always hope, even if it is not restored in this life. We are children of the Lord and despite our current danger, we will rest in the safety of his hand knowing that our circumstances serve the greater purpose of God.

But you, O Lord, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.

Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. (vv 19 – 21)

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Psalm 21 ~ The King Trusts the Lord

There is an important faith concept in Psalm 21 that is easily missed, the idea of giving thanks in advance. Human nature often moves us to live in anticipation of something and then we give thanks when it is received. The logic is pure and simple; why give thanks for something not received? On the other, do we not give thanks to God in advance because our trust is weak?

For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. (v 7)

This psalm is paired with Psalm 20 as the prayer intercedes on behalf of the king so that as the leader is successful, the king’s people will be blessed as well. It is not a historical record, rather, the expressions of trust and belief and gratitude precede the battle or other travail and they demonstrate a faith rooted in the belief that the outcome will be positive. In other words, the prayer does not follow a demonstration of God’s faithfulness, it anticipates it. As we approach the day of Christmas we would do well to search our own hearts to see if we have developed this same attitude.

Advent Benediction ~ The Song of Mary

image Rejoice in the presence of the Lord, may His face shine upon you.

May you walk in anticipation of the promise kept,

and may you fall to your knees in humility and repentance.

 

May you join with your sister Mary and your soul glorify the Lord, your savior.

I pray that you will be known as people of mercy as the Lord works through you

and that you will give to others the same love that He has given to you.

 

May you remember to be merciful, humble, and faithful,

even when you face uncertainty as Mary did.

May you trust in Him as His ways are perfect.

Amen

Psalm 20 ~ Pray for the King

Psalm 20 reminds us of an often neglected responsibility for disciples of the Savior, to pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-4). Whether you may have voted for a leader or find yourself in opposition, the Christian is called to exercise his or her intercessory moments and seek wisdom, guidance, and protection for the authorities recognizing all the while that God’s providence directs the course of history. This psalm was used to seek these God given tools for the king before he went out to war and can offer the same things to a current leader who faces an immensely complex world.

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.

May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. (vv 1-3)

The psalmist takes an interesting turn in his form in verse six. In exuberance, a liturgist proclaims loudly the truth of the psalm’s words, bursting forth with a proclamation of assurance for the effectual nature of the believers prayer. Our modern prayers can lead us to the same confidence if we approach them fervently and humbly, confident in God’s course and not insistent on our own ways.

Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. (vv 6-8)

An Advent Benediction of Trust

May the Lord put test to your faith.image

May He challenge your trust, may you be troubled,

In the same way that His servant Mary was challenged.

 

Whether it be in the form of an angelic light

or the face of a stranger in need,

Pray for the Lord to challenge your faith.

 

May you rise to the purpose he has vested in you;

May your answer to his call be ‘May it be to me as you have said.’

May your heart know the trust of not being afraid,

and your confidence rooted in the knowledge that nothing is impossible with God.

 

Amen

from the Gospel of St. Luke 1:26 – 38