Prayer, a Privilege!Sample

Childlike confidence

“LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother” (Psalm 131:1-2).

The psalms show many ways of praying: Giving thanks, praising, lamenting, expressing grief, confessing, praying for others. Psalm 131 is a short prayer in which a person comes to rest in God. Its likely author, David, was the youngest of a row of sturdy brothers (1 Samuel 16). That did not stop God from making this boy king of Israel. Before and during his kingship, David went through times of fear and insecurity. As king, David was a blessing to his people, but he also committed serious sins that greatly damaged others. In this psalm, he wrote that he knew his position before God. He did not strive for more than what was possible for him. And in doing so, he ‘brought his soul to rest with God.' As a poet, David used beautiful imagery for this: That of a toddler who, though no longer receiving mother's milk, still finds rest and security on her lap.

Prayer is neither a technique to be mastered, nor a duty to be carried out for a few minutes a day. Praying is turning to God as you are and with all that is going on in your life. The privilege to lean against Him to let go of your tears, to sigh away your worries, to feel safe in your anxiety, to let your thanks and joy be absorbed in His love.

Prayer: Thank You, Creator God, that You open Your arms to me as a father would and that I may turn to You every moment of the day the way I am and regardless how I feel.