Verse: Psalm 5:1-3
Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament.
Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Devotion
David is going through a hard time. Whether it is from enemies surrounding him or the enemy of sin within him, David regularly recognizes his need for God. I am so grateful that God inspired him to write so many examples of honest prayer for us to learn from.
What is weighing on you today? What burdens are you carrying? Who are you worried about? Who do you know who is struggling?
In all of these things we have a God who hears our cry. We can (and should!) go to him in prayer, and even lament. Lament is a type of prayer that is brutally honest with our grief and our pain. It allows us to be honest with God. We don't have to pretend or put on a mask when we pray to God! And when we pray we know that he hears us! He hears our prayers and we wait on him to move in our lives.
When we come to him in prayer, he comes near to us. In Philippians, Paul encourages us in this: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7). When we come to him with our burdens, he comes to us with his peace. He meets us in those hard times and ministers by his Spirit to us.
What are you battling today? Have you gone to him in prayer? Have you poured out your heart to him? "In the morning" every day, can we "lay our requests" before God, knowing he hears us, and allow the peace of God to surround us while we wait expectantly for him?