Psalm 143: Modelling a prayer relationship with God

by Chantalle Wookey

Psalm 143 (NIV)

This is an amazing Psalm that is a model of how to go to God in prayer, especially in tough times. It is so obvious in this Psalm that David is God’s friend and God is David’s friend. It is an amazing illustration of what we can expect from God in our relationship with him – Friendship. This Psalm shows so clearly that when we do go to God in prayer we’re not shooting blindly into the emptiness of heaven but we can talk directly and clearly with God as a friend knowing what we can expect in return. This is how David models this prayer relationship:

• Take to time to go to God – Hear my prayer, O Lord (V1)
  
• Tell Him exactly how you feel and the circumstance you are in. He is the best friend you could ever have and it is ok to be honest with him. (V3-4)
  
• Remember with Him in a conversation all that He has done (V5)
  
• Worship Him in whatever the circumstance – I lift my hands to You in prayer. I thirst for You as parched land thirsts for rain (v9).
  
• Update God on the circumstance, if things are better – tell him, if things are worse – tell him (v7)
  
• Trust God (v8)
  
• Ask God what to do and for his direction in your life (v10)
  
• Be teachable and know that he is God–Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God (v10).
  
• Have the right motive – Our desire for God to act should always be because we want him to be glorified in and through our lives. (V11) 

Remember today that you are a friend of God. If you aren’t then you can be. Just Ask. Then begin to talk with Him in the way that is outlined so beautifully by David in this Psalm.

Psalm 142: Get your priorities right

by Andi Norton

Psalm 142 (NIV)

David certainly was a man who had his priorities right. He would turn to God in every circumstance of his life - whether to rejoice, seek comfort in his sadness, cry for help in his desperation or simply to give thanks. He would always acknowledge that nothing is possible without God.

Far too many times, I find myself sifting through an array of people, possibilities and practicalities before I get to the crucial point that I need to acknowledge God in my difficulties. Now I’m not saying it's not good to share our troubles with each other as it is important to share burdens with one another, but if we fail to acknowledge God as our greatest resolve, we may find that the problem will just reoccur or be unresolved.

David was in some horrific situations, but he was a man who had perspective too. He was a man who immersed himself in the presence of the King (yes even in a dark and dingy, cold cave). He would meet with the Father and have an open conversation, pouring out, with full honesty his irritation, desperation and pleas.

I think the reason David was such a 'F.R.O.G' man (a man who Fully Relied On God) was because he had felt the failings of this world.

Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.
I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living. (v4-5)

We all too have felt many failings in this world I'm sure, but we know the truth of who our God is:

He is good and is one who cares for us, He doesn't wish for us to suffer with anxiety, fear or uncertainty, He is a God with a plan and purpose for us, and we can take heart that he wishes no harm to come to us (Jeremiah 29:11).

It's good news, but if we fail to acknowledge it (which i know i do when i become fearful and worry) we will seek comfort, reassurance and resolve in all the wrong places.

Philippians 4 states:

The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This should be our first point of call in any difficulty (whether a technical issue on a Sunday morning, or a greater issue like a financial anxiety, bereavement, or dysfunctional relationship).

If we stop and prioritise our action, we will find that we may only need to make one, and that is to seek, seek, seek God, and He will help with managing any other actions that may need to follow.

Lord would you help me to make my first response to always be to turn to You.

Psalm 141 Are you teachable?

by Sean Theunissen

Psalm 141 (NIV)

'Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in the company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!

Let a righteous man strike me - it is a kindness; let him rebuke me - it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.'

This psalm for me characterises a life of worship. Here the psalmist pretty much says to God: "Here's my life. Shape it, break it, use it to bring glory to you. Let my life, my prayers and actions be like incense before you."

What distinguishes this prayer from some that I've prayed is that there is a genuine openess for God to work on his life. I don't know about you but whenever I've been rebuked or corrected, every bit of selfish pride that was lurking below the surface, that I didn't even know was there, suddenly springs to life. It lashes out, it tries to defend itself by recalling past successes, by bringing to mind all the 'good' I've done.

In order to be completely available and useful to God, we must be broken, and not broken after fighting for our pride, but offer up our allegiance willingly to the only true and living God, for His plans and purposes.

This is true worship. Everything else; all the corporate singing; dancing; bowing down; lifting hands; playing music; serving God's people...it all needs to stem from a life that's had it's own pride and honour smashed.    

Unfortunately it's not a one off event, but a regular breaking down of self in order to glorify Him.

God I constantly need you to rid me of the hard clay that seems to form in my life, so inflexible and immovable. God keep me malleable and soft, shape me for your purposes. Help me to live a life that is a pleasing aroma to you.

Psalm 140: Why it's good to be cavemen?

by Priscilla

Psalm 140 (NIV)

Imagine the scene: It’s a dark and misty night. A black, snarling creature is relentlessly pursuing you through dark woods. You can almost feel his evil breath on your back as you run as fast you can, tripping over twigs and roots. And then it begins to thunder as rain starts pelting down fast. You are still running but ever so often the beast catches a glimpse of you in the lightening flashes. Now, even your meagre cover of darkness has been blown. And just as you think your heart can take it no more and feels like it will burst open through your chest, you spot a small cave by the side. In you run, crouch, sit still and barely breathe. Seconds that seem like forever pass and suddenly you hear the rapid crunch of broken sticks and leaves as beast hurtles past the cave. You can breathe again. For the rest of this torrid night, you are now safe. When dawn breaks and mists lift - the world will be different place.

David had many experiences similar to this - where he was pursued like “a partridge in the mountains” (I Sam 26:20) by Saul and his heavily armed men. And while on the run, David and his men would find shelter in a cave and stay there till the trouble had passed.

Psalm 140 is David’s cry to God from one of his cave escapes.

Some times God is gracious to provide us with a cave sanctuary for us to hide when everything seems to go kaput at the same time.

In this cave we can catch our breath – cry out to God for help as David does in this Psalm.

Vs 1:
Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,

Vs 4:

Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
    protect me from the violent,

A cave of refuge is also a place to plan your next move in safety knowing your surety in God.

A cave experience can be one as mundane as a crazy day at home where by 6pm, all you need to do is retreat for 15 mins into a quiet place, cry out to God for help and with a deep breath plan what you are going to do next in the midst of the chaos.

Or a cave experience could be more challenging where perhaps you desire to make some key life decisions but are being pursued relentlessly by the business of life coming at you from all sides. Eagerly look for the cave opportunity that God provides – a quiet weekend away perhaps to seek Him and His calling. Cherish that time away. You never know how that could affect your life.

David’s cave experiences were the making of Him. I pray that ours would be just that. 

Psalm 139: An open book

by Andy Flood

Psalm 139 (NIV)

What a wonderful song of the depths of the knowledge that God has of us!
He know us inside out, He has been there the whole time, watching us and delighting in us as only a Father can.

He knows everything, He sees everything, He is everywhere. He is never lacking in wisdom, never lacking in knowledge and never lacking in power.
We cannot hide from Him, even though from the beginning we have tried, I mean even Adam and Eve thought they could hide behind a tree!

Why is it then, that when we feel the prick of our conscience and the conviction of sin. We try and run away?
Do we really believe that God is standing over us with a stick, just waiting to give us a good hiding?

David has realised here that running is not an option. He knows the best option is be an open book with God. He says:

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139: 23, 24 NIV)

It's of no benefit, whatsoever, to let un-repented sin stew in our hearts, festering while we work out a way to polish a turd, in an attempt to make it presentable to God
Surely, how we all long to be is, to keep a short account with our saviour, calling out to him to search our hearts and where we fall short. Looking to Him for our restoration, and to lead us the way everlasting.

Lord we need your Spirit to do a work in us, soften our hearts, tenderise them, make them wholly yours. Make us sensitive to sin that could so easily fester in our souls. Our desire is to be an open book with you, always keeping a short account with you.
You're amazing that You know us so intimately, THANK YOU.

Psalm 138: Have I fallen too far for God to use me?

by Peter Roxburgh

Psalm 138 (NIV)

The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. (vs 8)

I look back at my life and there are many things that I wish I could change. I see years wasted drifting aimlessly making endless mistakes. The danger, which I often have to fight, is falling down a spiral of regret, unable and unwilling to let Hope pull me out.

I often think that I have wasted too much time, made too many mistakes, disqualified myself, not got the right personality or the best character, not strong enough or driven enough, not ambitious enough, not perfect enough to do what God has called me to.

And that is exactly where the enemy wants me. Focussed on my failures, my weaknesses when actually I can also see the incredible change that God has worked in me over the last few years. Sure it has been slow change but there has definitely been change - I don't think my wife would have put up with me for so long if I was still the same as when we got married.

I need to keep reminding myself that 'He who began a good work in me is faithful to complete it'.(Phil 1:6) I just have to be humble enough to accept the need to change. I remember I went through a season of going forward for prayer every Sunday at the end of church regardless of what the ministry was for. It was just me fighting the pride of "what will people think of me?" and instead humbling myself and desperate enough to ask God to come and change me.

I declare today that The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me (v8), and the same can be true for you no matter how far you have fallen, what you have done and where you think you are. You and I just need to be humble enough for God to change us (rarely a pain-free process) and then accept the truth that God can use us.

God is bigger than your weaknesses, your failures, your past, your wasted years. As long as you are willing to humble yourself to change and be used by Him, He will fulfil His purpose for you.

This song 'Second Chance' by Rend Collective Experiment is a powerful song. If you haven't heard it before take a few minutes to listen and revel in the truth. I particularly love the last verse:

"Fragments of brokenness
Salvaged by the art of grace
You craft life from our mistakes

Black skies of my regrets
Outshone by this kindness
New life dawns over my soul"

Psalm 137: No longer a slave to sin

by Chantalle Wookey

Psalm 137 (NIV)

Oh my! ... Was my thought when I first realised I would be writing a blog on Psalm 137 because I had no idea what to say about it. All that kept coming into my mind was the well-known song!

Then I realised this psalm is a song, it almost definitely did not originally sound like the Boney M version but never the less was a song from those in exile. How can they sing when they are in captivity away from the Promised Land and Jerusalem - without a proper place to worship? The call to dash their captive little ones against the rocks seems a bit hard to swallow but I guess it helps express the strength of feeling they had with regards to their circumstances.

I guess the real purpose of this Psalm is not to forget a very difficult time in their history and to celebrate all that God had brought them through.

We in the same way should have sadness for sin and captivity that was in our lives before we were saved and indeed any sin that creeps into our lives even though we are saved in the same way as the Israelites had sadness for being captives in a foreign land. It is good for us to remember that we were once captive, that Christ has set us free and to keep walking in the spirit, where there is liberty.

Today, take some time to remember that you are no longer a slave to sin but transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). Because of Jesus’ finished work we are no longer captives but transformed. Remember where God has brought you from today and seek his continual freedom by choosing to partner with the Holy Spirit in living a life that is full of adventure and promise in his transforming power.