The Practice of Prayer (4)

“Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6.10-13

Love yourself in prayer: It’s OK!
Obviously, a good portion of the time we spend in prayer is going to be devoted to seeking mercy and grace to help in our times of need. We need the Lord to come to our aid and defense, as well as our neighbors’. We love ourselves properly when we entrust our lives into the Lord’s hands for forgiveness of sin and repentance, for all our daily needs, our relationships with others, the trials and temptations we expect to face, and our work in seeking and advancing the Kingdom of God. Whatever in general we pray for others, we should pray for ourselves as well.

But it’s likely we’ll focus more time and attention on our own needs than on the needs of others, if only because we are more aware of our needs, and are more personally invested in them. Praying for our own needs can sometimes seem a little self-serving. But if we remember that what we may expect from the Lord concerning all our requests is mercy and grace, then this will allow us to maintain a proper attitude of humility and a focus on exalting the Lord and serving others as we bring our requests before the throne of grace.

Let’s take a look at one psalm that can guide us in supplicating the Lord for our own needs.

Psalm 142
In our final installment of this series I’ll have more to say about using the psalms to guide us in prayer. For now, I want to look more closely at one psalm which I find particularly helpful in bringing my own personal requests to the Lord.

Psalm 142 offers us a good template for guiding us as we seek mercy and grace to help in our times of need. Let’s note the following:

First, David indicates that he prayed out loud (vv. 1, 2), and with a kind of urgency that he describes as crying out. It’s not always necessary to pray aloud, but we should not hesitate to do so when we can. I find praying out loud makes me more thoughtful, helps me to keep focused, blocks out distractions, and in general makes my time in prayer more truly conversational. Try including at least some out loud praying during your times before the throne of grace.

Next, we note that David refers to his prayer as a complaint (v. 2). His prayer is the appeal of one who is in some kind of trouble. Again, there seems to be a sense of urgency about these words. David was feeling desperate, and he didn’t hesitate to express his feelings to the Lord, as though somehow he shouldn’t come to the Lord complaining about this, that, or the other. David poured out his complaint to the Lord – all his feelings of fear, frustration, and need. He felt overwhelmed by whatever it was he was facing (v. 3); yet he appears to have taken comfort in the fact that God already knew about the situation, even before he started to pray (v. 3). We can almost hear David’s sigh of relief as he prays, “Then you knew my path.” That sense of relief could only have come to David after he’d been completely honest about his desperation.

In verses 3 and 4, David puts the problem before the Lord. He is threatened by adversaries who do not have his best interests in mind, and who seem to be coming at him from every angle. No one cares about his situation, and nobody can help him through it. David was probably trying to get away from Saul at this time, as the superscription to Psalm 142 advises us that he was hiding in a cave. He could see no way of escape from his trial, and no one was available to help him.

So David took refuge in the Lord (v. 5). It’s all he could do. He didn’t prescribe what he thought God should do. He simply declared his trust in the Lord, saying that God was his refuge and portion. As long as he could know the Lord’s presence with him, and be assured of resting in his favor, he could bear up under whatever trial might come his way. At this point in his life, David was no match for Saul and his army (v. 6), but he was not about to allow temporal situations to ensnare his soul and rob him of his joy. David knew to focus on three things in this situation, three requests that he was quite certain God would grant (v. 7): Give him grace to praise the Lord, grant that he might know more of the righteousness of God, and enable him to trust the Lord to do what would bountifully bless him, regardless of how his adversity might conclude.

Summary observations
So what can we learn from this psalm about bringing our personal needs before the Lord, loving ourselves in the same way we love our neighbors? Three things:

First, when you come to the Lord for yourself, be honest and open about your faults, feelings, frailties, fears, and frustrations. Don’t think you have to put on some kind of “game face” to come before the Lord. He already knows where you are, and he invites you to be yourself as you seek His mercy and grace.

Second, don’t presume on the Lord by prescribing how He should answer your prayers. He may intend for you to know His grace in some way entirely other than what you’re hoping. Lay out your needs before Him, being as specific as you can, then express your determination to rest in Him, to seek in Him the grace you need, and to wait on Him to supply that grace in whatever form He deems best.

Finally, strive to grow through your time of prayer by including praise to God, regardless of the occasion of your prayer; by seeking specific growth in the Kingdom and righteousness of Jesus Christ; and by looking forward with peace and joy to however God plans to supply His grace for your time of need. David entered Psalm 142 in fear and trepidation, but he concluded it with confidence, praise, and hope. All our prayers for all our needs can be a similar journey of trust and growth, if we will be honest, patient, and faithful in seeking the Lord as David sought Him in Psalm 142.

For reflection
1.  What does it mean for you to be honest in prayer before the Lord?

2.  What does it mean for you to make God your refuge, especially when you’re faced with pressing needs?

3.  Why is it a good idea to end our prayers for ourselves with praise, an eye to growth, and expressions of hope and trust?

Next steps – Transformation: What can you learn from Psalm 142 to improve your prayers for your own needs? Begin incorporating those lessons into your times of prayer right away.

T. M. Moore
Each of our “next steps” exercises is tied into goals and disciplines involved in working your Personal Mission Field. If you have not yet identified your Personal Mission Field, watch the brief video showing you how to get started right away (click here). Learn how to work your Personal Mission Field by finding a friend and signing-up for our Mission Partners Outreach.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.