Psalm 25:16-18
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.” Psalm 25:16-18 (NIV)
How do you pray? In your times of quietness and solitude, what comes to mind when talking to God? Do you only pray or converse with God when you need something or want to see changes? Most people get so busy with their daily lives that they only reach out to others when they need something. Oftentimes, this holds true to times of prayer as well.
When we look at this Psalm, it is full of praise for God and His willingness to forgive your sins and hear your prayers. Psalm 25 teaches us about praise and hope and God’s loyalty toward humanity. Notice that David spends the first part of the Psalm telling God that he is a great God. Then he proceeds to ask Him to help him in his time of trouble. Often David’s psalms are what we refer to as Psalms of lament. We look at lament as, “Woe is me” or “Why me?” To most of us we complain first, then beg God to help us. To his credit this time, David praised God first, then begged him to help.
Psalm 25 teaches us to trust in the Lord during hard times and times of joy. David understood that life was nothing without God and to lean on Him during times of trial.
My best time of prayer is when I lay down at the end of the day. For the last few years, I begin my conversation with God by thanking Him for all that he has done for me (good health, good family/friends, good job, specific events that happened that day, etc.). I have really tried to express gratefulness toward things that do not have any monetary value. What makes me the happiest is that I have a God that follows me through life and is with me through times of joy and times of trials. It has really changed my focus more toward how David prayed. Gratitude first and help second. He has given us examples of how to pray with the Lord’s Prayer and David Psalm. Enjoy your next conversation with God, for He is with you always.
Questions for Reflection:
- Think about a time when you lifted your praise and love for the Lord and found a trustworthy leader in Him. How comforting did that feel?
- What type of prayer do you use most often – praise and gratefulness or needs?
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving me a strong leader to lean on during times of trouble. Thank you for always being there for me and listening to my prayers. I come to you full of sin and troubles and you lend me a listening ear. I know that I am never alone. Thank you for saying that I can call on you during troubling times and times of celebration. Please help me to continue to lean on you not just when I have needs but every day. In Your name we pray, Amen!
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