Psalm 69:16-18…“Do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress—make haste to answer me.” vs. 17
This psalmist seems to have run out of patience with the Lord. His passion for the temple has gotten him a boatload of enemies, and they never tire of tormenting him. Through it all the psalmist has continued to trust in the Lord as a source of mercy and steadfast love! But at this moment he’s just not feeling it! It’s as though the Lord has stopped smiling on him. In distress he asks God to hurry up and answer his prayers.
That’s a tough situation to be in. People of faith are by nature people of prayer. They regularly pray to God in every time of need. In fact they pray every day, and many times a day. Some pray daily for hundreds of people. And when a person has prayed the same prayer for a loved one for months and years at a time, it’s natural to begin to wonder, “What’s going on Lord? It’s about time for some answers!”
At that point there are some who would recommend just giving up on the prayer, but those are the folks who believe that the point of praying is getting results. And that’s not anywhere close to the truth. We pray in order to stay connected with God and with one another. Prayer is the connective tissue of the community. And God knows, there are greater rewards for prayer than getting what we want!
Thought for the Day: What’s the greatest benefit of prayer for me?
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