Psalm 142:2

Psalm 142:2

Pouring out our complaints.

Many of those who believe in the living God can find prayer difficult. I am one of them. It is not always easy to approach a Being that cannot be seen, and to hold a conversation with One who does not speak! That would be the excuse of the majority of Christians, which is why so many use a Prayer Book or find comfort in allowing others to do the praying for them. We all know full well that God hears and that He answers but comparing conversations with Him to the ones we enjoy with each other, can be very difficult. The trouble is, there is no one more able, more authoritative and more merciful than our God and thus we have to bring our worries, anxieties and pleadings to Him at some point, simply as a way of relieving the burdens that life throws at us. Even when we do approach the Lord with a willing heart, it’s difficult to know how to voice our requests because we simply don’t know what He is thinking or even if we’ve grasped the full picture of what is going on. Praying, “Your will be done” is all very well, but what is His will? No, prayer is not easy, it has to be a discipline, and it can only be done by faith, faith that the invisible God has heard and faith that He will answer.

David would have faced these struggles, especially when he was in trouble. The pleas in this verse are not the polite requests of a man at peace with himself and the world, they are the outpourings of a desperate fugitive who has no one else to turn to. That is why he brings his complaint to the Lord God, that is why he pours out his troubles. You and I are vulnerable human beings just like David, we often find ourselves facing problems that we cannot solve alone,  and there is no one to help us. Life overwhelms us all at times and that is when we may take these words of David to heart. Believe it! God does hear. God wants us to bring our pleas to Him. God will answer. That is exactly what praying in faith is all about. Hallelujah!

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