Saturday, July 9, 2022

5 prayer requests for the spiritually Stressed

 Read Psalm 143.

This psalm continues the themes of Psalm 142.  David was hiding in a cave as Saul and his army searched for him.  Instead of feeling protected by the shelter, he felt trapped.  The stress wore on his soul to the point that he cried out to God for mercy.

He described his feelings.  (vv.3-4)
Notice how David felt in verses 3-4.  The enemy wanted to kill him but could not find him.  Yet, inside he felt pursued and crushed.  He likened sitting in the darkness to being entombed.  Spiritually, he thought he had reached the end of his endurance. 

He remembered God's faithfulness. (vv.5-6)
What thoughts guided him toward hope?  The LORD had delivered him in the past.  He counted his blessings.  He physically and spiritually reached out to God to sustain him. 

He prayed for his future. (vv.7-10)
His requests were specific and included the key elements for living beyond the current crisis.
1. "Let me hear."  He longed to hear again how much God loved him.
2. "Make me know."  He needed wisdom and guidance in what to do.
3. "Deliver me."  He needed immediate help.  Without God's intervention, he would have no future.  He cast his total dependence on the LORD, since there was no apparent way he could save himself in this situation.
4. "Teach me."  His longing was to know and do the will of God for his life.  Such actions would give him the confidence of being right with God and doing what pleased the LORD.
5. "Lead me."  The emotional ups and downs brought unbearable stresses.  He submitted himself to the Spirit of God to be able to live rightly on level ground.

 

 

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