Prayer Takes You From Fear To Confidence

Psalm 6:2-3 and 9  - Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my body is in agony.  I am sick at heart. How long, O LORD, until you restore me?

The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD will answer my prayer.

 

David was running from Saul.  He had been living in caves and eating whatever he could find.  His physical body had been worn down to match his emotions.  His human mind just didn’t know how much more he could take. Fear was threatening to take hold of his heart and spiral him into a huge pity party.

 

All David could do is pray…so he cried out to God to save him from the enemies that threatened his life. He cried out to God to strengthen….even heal his weak body.  He cried out to God to restore his battered heart. He cried out for justice to be given to those that chased him.  He prayed for God to help him overcome the feelings of despair and gloom that had taken up residence in his heart.

 

I love the end of his prayer the best. David knew…even in his horrible emotional state…that God was there watching over him…and had heard every word he had cried out.  God had heard him and would answer him….at some point. God would not leave him in this condition forever.

 

It was David’s persistence in prayer that turned his fear of the world’s catastrophes… into confidence in God’s providence over whatever the world could dish out. His pity party was replaced with strength and confidence in God’s love and mercy.  His cries of physical pain and his heartfelt groans of overloaded emotions brought him right smack into God’s presence …so God could calm him and assure him that this time of grief and physical pain would pass. ..when the time was right.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that prayer is the answer to every problem I face in this crazy world. Help me to be persistent and cry out to you all that is bothering me…like David….so I can enter into such a deep relationship with you that I feel you even when things are rough.  Help me know that you are near to me all the time…so I can throw off the feelings of sadness that come about to steal my joy and  delay me in doing your will.  Amen.