The Psalms: Series OneSample

Read Psalm 4

Highlight verse: ‘Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.’

(Psalm 4:1 CSB)

The beginning of this psalm struck me as almost irreverent!

Demanding that God hear you when you call, that he be gracious to you and hear your prayer seems a little dangerous to me.

But isn’t that the nature of the psalms as a whole?

Of all the books in the Bible, the Psalms pour out the heart in all its rawness and frailty more than any other.

David is clearly distressed in this portion of scripture. He is looking to God to rescue him, to deliver him, and he is making no bones about the direct way he expresses that!

How honest are you with God I wonder?

Are there circumstances or emotions that you hold back from bringing to the throne room?

Do you think God is too holy for your frustration?

Do you think God is too busy for your loneliness?

Friend, God knows intimately the ways in which you think, feel, and act and is not surprised by anything that you can express to Him.

He dreamt up, designed, and created you and is familiar with every part of your personality – even the parts that you attempt to hide or play down to other people. So, with that in mind, why not search your own heart and bring to God the raw, real, and vulnerable prayers that you rarely dare to pray.

He is ready. He is waiting. He is listening.

Action: Find a clean piece of paper and a pen and a quiet spot in your surroundings. Now, ask God to help you release the pretence that you can’t come to Him with all of your various emotions and circumstances. Then write a prayer – a real and raw and honest prayer – to God about how you really feel. Enjoy the release and the truth that God is not angry with you for being honest with Him.