“I pray to you, O LORD, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die. Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your holy sanctuary.”
Psalm 28:1&2
I love the way that King David prays in the Bible. In Psalm 28, in the first few verses, we hear David crying out to the Lord. He is pleading with God to listen to him. He tells God, that if God is silent, then David might as well give up and die! Am I the only one that is this dramatic when I pray? The thing is, that David knows by experience that God is listening, and that He answers prayers. David has seen God accomplish amazing things when he has asked for them, and David regularly reminds his soldiers and his people that God is with them. David hears God, and knows that God will speak to him. So why does David start this prayer, and many other prayers, in such a dramatic fashion? What can we learn from this?
First, I think we can see here that David is not afraid to tell God exactly how he feels. He knows that God is bigger than his temporary emotions. Have you ever felt like saying these words to God, "Where are you? Why can’t you hear me? If I don’t hear from you soon I might as well give up and die! Listen to me!! I need help!"? Sometimes I think that we don’t say these things to God, because we don’t want to offend him. The thing is, God already knows how we feel. If we are angry or frustrated with Him, He is already aware of that anger and frustration. Our feelings do not scare or surprise him.
Second, I think we can find comfort in David’s pleading with the Lord. If David has already seen him do great things, already has confidence the Lord will provide, and has already learned how to hear God, but still has moments like this one, then we do not need to be ashamed when we have moments like this. David was called a man after God’s own heart, yet he still struggled. It is okay to struggle and have moments of doubt. God can take it, and has grace for us in the moments where we feel like giving up.
My Prayer for You I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to your people. I pray that when they feel like giving up, that they would hear your voice. Give them mercy, give them help, provide for their needs, and protect them. Father, when they feel like hiding their struggles from you, release them from their shame. Help them to find rest in you. Amen.
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