Psalms Teach Us How To Pray
The Psalms can teach us how to pray. I started re-reading Psalms this week and was blown away by King David, the author of many of the Psalms in the Bible’s Old Testament.
As an example, let’s look at Psalm 6:6-8. “I am exhausted as I grown; all night long I drench my bed in tears; my tears saturate the cushion beneath me. My eyes grow dim from suffering; they grow weak because of all my enemies. Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping!”
What struck me was how anguished David was and how he expressed that in prayer to God. David didn’t write polite, safe prayers. He poured out his heart, good and bad, to God.
David also expressed his desperate need for God and his total reliance on Him and his expectation that his prayers would be heard.
So, we can learn a lot from David through the Psalms on how to pray. It’s not a formula…it’s just authentic. Just talk with God. Share your thoughts, your pains, your frustrations, your excitement, and your hopes. And if that’s too formulaic, just cry out to God in whatever way makes sense to you. And know that God DOES hear you.
So, thanks King David for teaching us how to pray in a vulnerable, transparent way.
Filed under: Psalms