Monday, October 19, 2020

Pandemic Praying

 

Monday, October 19, 2020

It’s not a problem for most of us to remember to pray during this pandemic.  Knowing WHAT to PRAY is another matter. 

Young David, before he was king in Israel, when he was all alone in the world, being hunted like a dog by the most powerful man in the world, King Saul, is the author of Psalm 63.  Let’s hear how he prayed while the pandemic was chasing him, hot after his blood.  Perhaps we’ll pick up on what may be missing in our pandemic praying.

1.   Confession

A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.   O God, you are my God;  Psalm 63:1a

“You are my God.”  That is a prayer of confession.  And it’s light years different from the prayer that says “Uh…God…are you there?”  In a pandemic, or any time, begin your prayer with the confession that God-alone is God, and you, and nothing else in the universe, is God.

2.   Owning how much it hurts

I earnestly search for you.  My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.  Psalm 63:1b

Laying out your weakness before God is not a sign of weakness; it is the measure of truth.  And if truth isn’t in your mouth when you pray, do something else.

3.   Declaration of God’s power

I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.  Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!  Psalm 63:2-3

This is the beginning of a prayer of praise, to recognize God’s awesome power, and to do such is to lay yourself at the mercy of God (rather than be a demanding fool who blathers at naming and claiming, otherwise known as blabbing & grabbing).

It’s more than a dangerous thing to demand an answer from God; rather lay yourself at His feet.  After all, HE is the one sitting on the throne.

4.   Keep praying

I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.         Psalm 63:4

The “praying person” who first bows his head in humility before God is only as humble as his continuing that prayer when the crisis is over.  Foxhole prayers are as common as times of pandemic fear; whether we truly trust God in the dark times of difficulty is measured by how we walk in the brightness of the sun shining on our lives.  Never stop praying.

5.   Trust especially when you can’t see

You satisfy me more than the richest feast.  I will praise you with songs of joy.  I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.  Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.  Psalm 63:5-8

Hiding in the caves of Adullam[1] with King Saul hot on his trail, David was not experiencing much satisfaction like a rich feast or the kind of help from anyone that would make you lift songs or feel secure.  He was alone, threatened, and sensing his life was being crumpled up like a piece of scrap paper tossed into the garbage can. 

Yet David prayed as if God had made his life secure, sound, joyous, just filled with every blessing imaginable.  Some would call that whistling in the dark, a nervous disconnect from reality, where you can see the trouble, but won’t acknowledge it.  You look the other way and don’t want to admit how your life stinks.  Rather than cynical pragmatism, David utters the statement of faith:  I cannot see it in my hand, but I trust the hands that have it all saved in the right place.

I recall a story of President John Adams when he was extremely old and tottering down the streets of Philadelphia.  A passerby greeted the former president and asked, …and how is John Adams today?  The president paused and then answered, if you’re asking about these bones and joints, the house John Adams inhabits, they’re woefully creaky and aching.  If you enquire about the light coming through the window of eyes, there’s not a brightness to see, nor is much hearing to be found.  I’m afraid this house John Adams inhabits is crumbling and not of much use for very much longer.  But, if you’re asking how JOHN ADAMS is, well, HE is simply fine…and will be for eternity.

For You Today

Faith in your pandemic praying…same as times of bright sunshine.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Title image:  By Postdlf, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Pixabay.com   W   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For more posts on integrity and truth see:  Walk With Integrity and A Simple Life



[1] See 1 Samuel 21 & 2 Samuel 23



 

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