Tag Archives: Prayer

Waiting for Mercy

27 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms

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I am worn out from waiting for you to keep your word. When will you have mercy (Psalm 119:82, CEV)?

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Snowy Woods – Photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is mercy.

When we are in a really tight spot, God’s mercy cannot arrive fast enough. We want help immediately.

Our impatience can be part of the problem. In God’s mercy, He has us wait. In the waiting process our situation may stay the same, but we change. God’s Spirit works on us.

I fear the kind of person I would become if God answered my every request immediately. 

That doesn’t mean we should never pour out our complaint to God as the psalmist does here. I am worn out from waiting for you to keep your word. When will you have mercy (Psalm 119:82, CEV)?

Bottled up frustration is never a good thing, especially when that frustration is directed at God. Are you frustrated waiting for God’s mercy? Take it to Him in prayer.

Response: LORD God, I need your help. I need your mercy. I need your patience. Give me the grace I need for today. Your word and your good promises sustain me. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you impatient as you wait for God’s mercy?

In the Time of Your Favor

12 Tuesday Jan 2016

Posted by in Psalm 69, Psalms

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Reading:                                       Psalm 69

Verses 13-18

But I pray to you, LORD,
in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.
Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.
Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.

Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
in your great mercy turn to me.
Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
Come near and rescue me;
deliver me because of my foes (NIV).

Reflection

I have a confession to make and here it is: I don’t understand God.

Maybe a better way of putting this is to say that I have a limited understanding of God. Yes, I have studied a lot about God, and I have written a lot about Him, but my understanding is small—miniscule beside an all-knowing God of infinite wisdom.

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Prairie Frost—photo by Donald Adam

In particular I do not understand God’s timing. When I pray, I want prompt answers. I run my life by a clock and a schedule, but God seems quite unimpressed by my propensity for planning. He’s been known to show up when I least expect Him. Furthermore, when I desperately want Him to put in an appearance, He usually keeps me waiting.

He’s like a bad date. Speaking of a date, dear God, is that answer I want coming tomorrow, next week or next year?

I’m in good company. David seemed to have the same problem with God. Hear his plea, “But I pray to you, LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.“

There’s one thing I know. Amazing things happen in the time of God’s favor. So like David, I’ll call out to Him. I’ll wait for Him. He is well worth waiting for, because when the LORD shows up everything changes. I change; the world changes.

Response: LORD God, favor me. Show up in your perfect timing. I need you now. I need you always. You know best. Answer me with your sure salvation. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you sometimes get impatient with God?

My Guilt Is Not Hidden From You

29 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Psalm 69, Psalms

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Reading:                                           Psalm 69

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

Verses 1-5

Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.
Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.

You, God, know my folly;
my guilt is not hidden from you (NIV).

Reflection

Above all else Psalm 69 is a plea for help. Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.

D Adam Landestreu Cem

Future Site of a Mass Resurrection, Landestreu Cemetery, Landestreu, SK — photo by Donald Adam

Have you ever been neck deep in trouble? I’ve been there and it’s not an entirely pleasant experience. I can recall hanging upside down in my car, which was sitting on its roof in a snow-covered ditch. My wife was suspended upside down in the driver’s seat beside me.

Suddenly finding yourself upside down after a high-speed-icy skid can be unsettling. I recall unfastening my seatbelt so I could reverse my position and sit upright on the interior of the car roof. Opening the car doors was impossible due to the snow jammed up on the outside. There we sat, car tires in the air, as the sun began to set.

We had two life lines: a mobile phone and a direct line to Jesus. Both worked flawlessly. Within minutes a young couple helped us out of the car. Later that evening we drove our flipped car back into the city undamaged. There was nothing to indicate we were in a rollover, not even a scratch on the car body.

This true account serves as a reminder to me that God hears us when we pray. When we are in over our head—when we are neck deep and beyond—we can call out to God.

God did not save us because we are faultless. As the psalmist says, “You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.” God saves us because of His great mercy.

Response: LORD God, thank you for showing us mercy when we don’t deserve it. Thank you for coming to rescue the likes of me. Amen.

Your Turn: Has the Lord helped you when you were neck deep in trouble?

God Hears

10 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Psalm 66, Psalms

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Reading:                                          Psalm 66

(Verses 13-20)

 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
and fulfill my vows to you—
vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats

Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me! (NIV).

Reflection

I grew up in a family that prayed. But that statement might give you the wrong impression. It might be more accurate to say, “I grew up in a family that religiously recited prayers.”

Green's Creek, Ottawa, ON --photo by David Kitz

Green’s Creek, Ottawa, ON –photo by David Kitz

We recited a common table prayer before every meal and the Lord’s Prayer before breakfast. My mother taught me a very scary bedtime prayer: Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.

To a six-year-old, that’s a scary prayer. It’s enough to keep you awake lest your soul be carried off in the night, while you’re off in la-la land.

I don’t think I really prayed—prayed from the heart—until the end of my grade four school year. The memory is still fresh in my mind. The little one-room country school I attended was closing. In September I would be bussed to the big school in town. This change was frightening. The familiar was being taken away and in its place was something big, strange and intimidating. Could I survive there? Could I thrive there? These thoughts troubled me.

On my last walk home from my country school, I left the country road and walked into a grove of poplars. That’s where I prayed—not a meaningless recited prayer—but a prayer from my heart to God. I asked for wisdom, strength and God’s favour for the challenging year ahead. God answered. After all these years I can say, “Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”

Response: LORD God, thank you for answering prayer—not once but thousands of times. Again and again you have proven your love for me. You are the God who hears me. Amen.

Your Turn: When did you learn to pray from the heart? Do you remember the occasion?

From the Ends of the Earth

17 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in Psalm 61, Psalms

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Reading:                                          Psalm 61

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.

I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
For you, God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Increase the days of the king’s life,
his years for many generations.
May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

Then I will ever sing in praise of your name
and fulfill my vows day after day (NIV).

Reflection

When I reflect on Psalm 61, it’s about distance—distance to God. There’s an old saying that goes like this, “If at one time you were close to God, but now He is far away, who is the one who moved?”

Petrie Island, ON -- David Kitz

Petrie Island, ON — David Kitz

As is so often the case, this psalm begins with David crying out to God. It would seem David is not at home. He is calling out from the ends of the earth. From biblical history we know that David was not a world traveller. He never ventured beyond the traditional territory of Israel, so in this psalm where exactly are the ends of the earth?

If I have offended my wife and the issue has not been resolved, we can be sleeping in the same bed, but there is a distance between us. Though she is physically present there is a gulf between us. Spiritually and emotionally we are on opposite sides of the planet.

The same can be true of our relationship with God. God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth is always close at hand. He is present and evident in His creation. But beyond that He has promised to dwell within every believer. We have Jesus’ promise on this. “The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don’t see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you” (John 14:17 CEV).

That means we can call out to God with confidence. He is more than nearby; He is within us helping to form the words of our prayers. We can draw close. David reminds us that we can take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Response: LORD God, help me to draw near to you. Thank you for the indwelling Holy Spirit. Amen.

Your Turn: What creates distance between you and God? What draws you close?

I Will Sing of Your Love

01 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by in Psalm 59, Psalms

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Reading:                                           Psalm 59

 (Verses 10-17)

God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
But do not kill them, Lord our shield,

or my people will forget.
In your might uproot them and bring them down.
For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride.
For the curses and lies they utter,
consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.

They return at evening, snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
They wander about for food
and howl if not satisfied.
But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely (NIV).

Reflection

David began Psalm 59 in great distress, fleeing for his life, and calling out for God’s deliverance. But as is often the case in the Psalms, there is a transition point. What began with desperate pleading on David’s part, ends with confident faith and praise to God for His unfailing help. Apparently, David met with God. The LORD heard his cry and answered him. David makes this assertion, “God will go before me…”

Peeking Sunflower -- David Kitz

Peeking Sunflower — David Kitz

Can you make that assertion too? Have you met with God in prayer? Have you poured out your heart before Him? What is more important, has God answered you? Above all, true prayer is a two-way communication. Have you taken time to listen for His voice? Is He going before you?

There are many who assert that prayer is the answer. Prayer is what we need. That’s nonsense! Prayer is not the answer. God is the answer. What we need is God. We need to hear the Holy Spirit speaking into our spirits. Prayer is simply a means to connect with God. Prayer is part of the divine equation. But it’s God whom we seek. He is the solution—the eternal amen—the reward at the end of the quest.

David learned how to seek God through prayer, praise and worship. He was taught by God. God will teach us too, if we will take the time to seek Him with all our heart. Then we can say, “You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”

Response: LORD God, teach me to pray like David prayed. Give me ears to hear your voice. Amen.

Your Turn: Has God spoken to you at various times?

I’ll Fly Away

09 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by in Psalm 55, Psalms

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Reading:                                            Psalm 55

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.

(Verses 1-8)

Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;

 hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

  because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
and assail me in their anger.

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm” (NIV).

Reflection

There are days when we all wish we had wings. When there are troubles and worries all around we long for a place of rest. Then David’s prayer becomes our prayer, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm”

Be at Rest -- David Kitz

A Monarch at Rest — David Kitz

Do you have a place of shelter? David was fortunate; he had such a place. In his spirit by means of prayer, he flew to the LORD. There he found the rest and comfort he needed.

Yesterday, I met with a former neighbor and family friend. A few months ago he lost his young wife in tragic car accident. With tears in his eyes he confessed how God has been his help in his time of overwhelming sorrow. He has found comfort with his Savior. When he felt he could not carry on, Jesus carried him. His faith and hope in the resurrection sustained him.

Jesus is our refuge from the tempest and storm.  Whatever difficulties we face, we have a place of rest with him. Sometimes our burdens are simply too heavy for us to carry. Peter gives this advice, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Having cast our worries on the Lord, we can fly away to our Savior—our place of rest.

Response: LORD God, help me remember that I have a friend in Jesus. I can bring my troubles to Him. Thanks be to you, Lord. You hear me when I call. Amen.

Your Turn: Has Jesus been a shelter from the storm for you?

Do you know God?

07 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by in Psalm 36, Psalms

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Reading:                                     Psalm 36

(Verses 10-12)

Continue your love to those who know you,     

your righteousness to the upright in heart.

May the foot of the proud not come against me,     

nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

See how the evildoers lie fallen—     

thrown down, not able to rise! (NIV)

Reflection

Do you know God? Are you well acquainted with Him and His ways? Are you in regular conversation with Him? I ask these questions because in this concluding portion of Psalm 36 David prays, “Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.”

Knowing God is or should be the great quest of our lives. This is our raison d’etre—our reason for being. We were created to know and love God. The Garden of Eden was first and foremost a place of communion with God. Yet so often we see ourselves running from God, or ignoring His invitation to draw close.

Eden Walk -- David Kitz

Eden Walk — David Kitz

Jesus gives us this warning, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

From Jesus statement here, there appear to be two requirements for entering the Kingdom of Heaven: doing the will of the Father and knowing Jesus. I would argue that truly knowing Jesus helps us to discover and do the will of the Father. If you know someone really well you know what they want—what will please them—without even asking. We need to aim for that kind of intimacy with God.

We come to know the mind of God because we have drawn close to the heart of God through time spent with Him. Prayer and meditation on His word acquaints us with His will and His ways.

God is not impressed by our prophetic or miraculous powers. He is not impressed by our power over demons. These after all are gifts from Him. God is impressed by our obedience as we seek His face and His will.

Our God is faithful. He will continue His love to those who know Him. His righteousness will constantly flow to the upright in heart.

Response: LORD God, give me a humble heart that seeks after you. Show me your ways, O Lord. Give me a hunger for your word. I want to know you more and more. Help me to do the Father’s will today. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Your Turn: How do you get to know God better? What practices grow your faith and knowledge of God?

The LORD Speaks

05 Monday May 2014

Posted by in Psalm 32, Psalms

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Reading:                                     Psalm 32

(Verses 8-11)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;     

I will counsel you and watch over you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule,     

which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle     

or they will not come to you.

Many are the woes of the wicked,     

but the LORD’s unfailing love     

surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;     

sing, all you who are upright in heart! (NIV)

 Reflection

In Psalm 32 God speaks back. David begins this psalm and we clearly can hear his voice addressing us, as he tells how wonderful it is to be forgiven. He then goes on to speak of his own struggle with unconfessed sin. Finally, he tells us of the great relief he experienced as he is pardoned and restored to a place of close fellowship with the LORD. But then abruptly in verse eight, we hear a different voice. God is speaking. The LORD responds to what David has said. Through this psalm David is modelling true prayer. This psalm is two-way communication.

We have heard David’s words; let’s hear God’s words now. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

Clearly this is not the voice of David. David is not going to counsel and watch over us. This is the work of the LORD. The LORD will teach and guide us. It is His role to shepherd the flock of His pasture.

These words, from verse eight to the end of this psalm are coming from the LORD. David has heard God speak, and now he is passing on this message from the LORD directly to us. In this respect David is fulfilling the role of a prophet. He is acting as God’s spokesperson. In fact in Acts 2:30, Peter asserts that David was a prophet. And what is a prophet? In the simplest terms, it is someone who hears God, and then passes on God’s message to others.

Do you hear God? This is no idle, rhetorical question. It is essential to our Christian faith that we as believers hear the voice of God. I would go so far as to say, that you cannot experience salvation unless you first hear God. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” John 10:27-28a (NIV).

In short, we must be able to hear Jesus in order to follow Him, and it is in following Him that we receive eternal life. Hearing God’s voice is of paramount importance.

Response: LORD God, give me ears to hear what you have to say to me. Please instruct me and teach me in the way I should go. Then give me grace to obey. I put my trust in you, O LORD. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you hear God’s voice? How does He speak to you?

From the Bottom of the Dry Well

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Psalm 31, Psalms

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Reading:                                     Psalm 31

(Verses 9-13)

Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress;     

my eyes grow weak with sorrow,     

my soul and body with grief.

My life is consumed by anguish     

and my years by groaning;

my strength fails because of my affliction,    

 and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies,     

I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends—     

those who see me on the street flee from me.

I am forgotten as though I were dead;     

I have become like broken pottery.

 For I hear many whispering,     

“Terror on every side!” They conspire against me     

and plot to take my life. (NIV)

Reflection

How often do you find yourself crying out for mercy as David does at the start of this psalm portion? I confess daily I need God’s mercy. Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.

The desperate cry for help is a recurring theme throughout the psalms. While there is plenty of rejoicing and we find ample helpings of praise for the LORD throughout the Book of Psalms, we also find time after time David and the other writers of the psalms calling out for God for mercy. It is as though David has stumbled into a dry well and has no one to rescue him. Only God can help. Only God will listen.

Is that where you find yourself? In this psalm portion we can see that David is experiencing a deep sense of abandonment. He feels he is alone with none to help. He laments, “I am forgotten as though I were dead.”

Is that where you find yourself? But David’s sense of abandonment plums even greater depths. Not only does David feel the sting of rejection, he also feels totally worthless. In his despair he cries, “I have become like broken pottery.” It appears as though he has lost all sense of meaning and purpose to his life. He is abandoned, useless and worthless.

Is that where you find yourself? Then do as David did. Pour out your complaint to God. Call out to Him. He is listening. He cares and He answers. The LORD has not changed.

Response: Lord God, have mercy on me. Come to my aid. When I stumble and fall into the dry well of despair, please come to my rescue. Help me see Jesus peering down at me. Loving Jesus, extend your hand of help. Amen.

Your Turn: Reflect on how God has helped you in the past. Has he pulled you out of a pit?