Tag Archives: Psalms
A Prayer that Helps Us Know What to Pray
The tenth prayer in Psalm 119 is a template for praying. Although these verses repeat themes from earlier in the psalm and foreshadow later passages, the psalmist prays in a way in verses 73-80 that suggests content for our prayers. … Continue reading
Prayer and What We Value after Affliction
The psalmist who prayed Psalm 119:65-72 offered a prayer of thanks for affliction he had suffered. Most of us pray that we may avoid difficulty. Why would someone thank God for allowing them to suffer? Part of the answer emerges … Continue reading
Prayer when Lying in the Dust
You, like I, may have experienced times when your world fell apart. How did you pray? At times, I found it hard to pray at all. I have learned that such times require prayer, that we talk to God when … Continue reading
Prayer of a Stranger
Travelers and immigrants seek accurate direction. In Psalm 119:17-24, the Psalmist confesses that he, a stranger, desires that God will reveal the wonders of his law. He contemplates the statutes of God’s word as carefully as a modern traveler might … Continue reading
How Shall the Young Secure Their Hearts?
How shall the young secure their hearts? Throughout my life I have sung lyrics by Isaac Watts that ask that question. Watts drew his inspiration from Psalm 119:9-16, the second division of that psalm’s 176 verse anthology of prayer. Concern … Continue reading
Prayer of the Righteous Man
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:17). God hears, and delivers the righteous … Continue reading
Praying for Rescue from Liars
How do we pray when there is a crisis of integrity? When truth becomes difficult to discern, when discordant voices clash in public forums inviting our allegiance and denouncing one another, we bow before our Lord praying for an end … Continue reading
Praying with Integrity
When we are hurting, we want to lash out. In anger, or in despair, we abandon love. We flee from trust, even as we crave to trust and long to be trusted. In Psalm 7, a psalmist under attack prays … Continue reading
Prayer on the National Day of Prayer 2020
“O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against … Continue reading