Advent DevotionalSýnishorn

The Story of David

If you know anything about the book of Psalms, you might know that it’s commonly referred to as the book of Prayer. A book written by David filled with raw and honest prayers that many of us can model our own prayer life after.

It’s interesting in this Psalm the amount of action words David used in his prayer. Asking God to “create,” “cleanse,” “restore,” and “sustain” him. Isn’t this what prayer is about? A two-way conversation that we invite God to have a part in. It’s almost as if David recognized the work that transformation takes, and the trust needed in Jesus to invite Him into it. A lot of time we can look at our prayer life and want to be on the receiving end of God’s provision without accepting the journey it might take to get there.

We want the faith of Joseph, without the rejection from his very own family. We want the boldness of Moses, without the backlash in freeing the Israelites. We want the belief of Paul, without the imprisonment that came with it.

To have a prayer life like David requires work and pruning in our life. The steadfast faith you see in others many times comes from walking a difficult journey and allowing God into the messiness of it. To be brave enough to trust God without knowing what’s on the other side. Would you allow God to create something new in you, no matter what it might take to get there?

Reflect

Which is more difficult for you: trusting God enough to be honest in your prayer life? Or having the courage to trust the journey it may take to lead to true transformation? What does it look like for you to model your own prayer life after David’s? Is there anything in your own life you haven’t brought to God in prayer in fear of how He’d respond?

Prayer

God, I give you my trust to prune away in order to create something new. Help me to be grateful for the hardships in my own life because of the faith they’ve helped instill. Show me the places in my own life I’m afraid to give to you and help me find the courage to bring them to you.