An Honest Prayer

By Jordan Stone

You do not have to spend a great deal of time in the book of Psalm to notice that the Psalms of David are incredibly schizophrenic in nature. One minute he is in anguish and the next minute he seems to be writing a joyful chorus. For example, take Psalm 13:

1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him,"
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

For four verses David bares his soul before the Lord. He is upset. He is broken. He is questioning. But, he does not lose sight of God's providential blessing for he still will rejoice and sing to the Lord. May our prayers be example of such honesty and understanding that even in the hard time God is still good.

Prayer as Worship

By Stan Rhoden

John Piper says this about worship: “true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship. Biblical worship involves some kind of outward act. The very word in Hebrew means to bow down. Worship is bowing, lifting hands, praying, singing, preaching, performing rites of eating, cleansing, ordaining and so on”.

Worship stirs our affections for God. Worship is not just singing it is a way of life. One of the most powerful ways we can worship is through prayer. Through prayer we show gratitude and adoration, we come and bow before him and lay our selves at his throne, prayer is a very precious and intimate time of worship with our Lord. David through the Psalms shows us what it is to worship God through Prayer.

In Psalm 69:1-3 we see David crying out to the Lord to save and restore him:
“Save me, O God, for the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail while I wait for my God…”
This verse shows the great worth of our God, and how David feels about him. David is saying that no matter what happens to him and how bad life may get, that the potential, the very thought of God is better then any substance of anything else. David is worshiping God; he is proclaiming His worth and greatness. The book of Psalms are prayers worshiping God knowing that He is far greater, that His ways and thoughts are higher then ours and there is nothing better. (Isaiah 55:9)

God created us to worship. Every time we pray we worship. No matter what the circumstance – grief, anger, or joy – our communication with God brings Him glory because we acknowledge that He is bigger and better. As we pray throughout the week, may we not forget that we are worshiping, I pray we take the time to engage Him and allow Him to speak to us. As we come in on Sunday mornings for a time of corporate worship, may it we an overflow of what God has done and revealed to us that week.

Weekly Prayer Calendar - August 25-31

Monday - Leadership - Isaiah 52-53

Tuesday - Marriages - Ephesians 5:25-33

Wednesday - Family - 1 Peter 5:8

Thursday - The Lost - Luke 23:34

Friday - God’s impact on the surrounding community through Providence - 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Saturday - Sunday Morning Worship - Psalm 111:1

Sunday - The Direction of Providence - Jeremiah 31:33