Everyday Prayers for JoyНамуна

Joy Found in Worship

We see two sides of David in Psalm 27: a confident David and a desperate David. He is confident that God is able to protect him…and desperate for God to rescue him from his enemies. He’s confident because he has experienced God’s goodness in the past…and desperate for God’s assurance that He will come to his aid again.

David trusts confidently in the Lord. He knows that God is able to protect him. But David also pleads with God for deliverance from those who are seeking his life in the present. He knows what God is capable of, but he still is fearful of those who seek his life.

Can you relate to David as he moves from confidence to fear? Even though it may not make sense, we can be confident in God and His promises and yet still experience anxiety or fear. That is a normal human response.

So what does David do? He makes a choice. He joyfully offers sacrifices to the Lord and sings to Him. He begins to thank God. He remembers the promises that he has been given.

Remembering the promise of God’s presence caused David to rejoice and offer thanks; it gave him something to hold on to when facing fearful circumstances. He followed these memories with worship because He remembered all that God had done and the victories He had won. This filled him with gratitude and joy.

When we seek God, we are promised that we will receive God’s strength. We are not immune from all trouble, but we can have a sense of safety and the knowledge that God is faithful in the midst of our troubles. We can have this same confidence in all of life’s circumstances.

When we choose to worship God, we are taking advantage of our privilege of having unhindered access to God and His presence. We are choosing to offer a sacrifice of joy.

Father, I praise and thank You for all You have done in my life. You have been so merciful to me. You are the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, and the One who gives all blessings. Help me be aware of You today and to be thankful for all You have done in my life. I will offer sacrifices of praise to You today with a joyful heart.