Is prayer your first response or your last resort? If you’re normal, it may depend on the day. Some days, you face a challenge, try to solve it unsuccessfully, and then pray. It’s not that you intentionally forgot to pray. Prayer just wasn’t part of the natural rhythm of your day. You eventually sought and trusted God through prayer. But not as quickly as you could or even should.
Psalm 103 gives us a framework for a new rhythm and pattern for prayer.
First, prayer remembers before it requests. David begins, “Praise the Lord, my soul...and forget not all his benefits.” David is talking to himself. He's intentionally directing his attention toward God. Before asking God to do something next, David stops to remember what God has already done.
Biblically, remembering is more than recalling information. God's people sometimes “forgot” God even though they hadn't literally forgotten He existed. They forgot Him when they began living as though His past faithfulness had no bearing on their present circumstances.
Second, prayer remembers who God is, and what God has done. So David remembers.
When you remember who God is and what He has done, your heart is shaped to trust and obey God today. You see His faithfulness in the past, and you can count on Him in the future. Even if He answers your prayer differently than you desire, you can know that His answer is best and for your good. You can have complete confidence in Him!
Third, prayer reminds us to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances. Paul teaches us this in 1 Thessalonians 5: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.”
This is God’s will for us! That’s why prayer isn't something we insert into life only when everything else fails. Prayer invites us to orient our lives toward God in all things and to trust Him in all ways as we pray. When we seek and live God’s will, prayer is our first response, not our last resort.
This ongoing, day-and-night rhythm of prayer begins to shape how we see our circumstances. Paul says it leads us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” He doesn't say every circumstance is good. We don't have to pretend pain doesn't hurt, minimize disappointment, or call tragedy good. Instead, prayer keeps turning our attention back to the God who is present in every circumstance. Even when we can't give thanks for what is happening, we can find reasons to give thanks as we walk through it. Why? Because our circumstances may change, but God's character doesn't. He is still good. He is still faithful. He is still present. He is still worthy of our trust.
So today, remember what God has done. Recognize who God has been. Then respond by placing what you're facing today into His hands. Our prayer becomes: “God, You've been faithful before. I believe You will be faithful again. I don't know what You will do, but I know who You are.” That's the prayer of someone who has discovered that God is more than enough.
Psalm 103 gives us a framework for a new rhythm and pattern for prayer.
First, prayer remembers before it requests. David begins, “Praise the Lord, my soul...and forget not all his benefits.” David is talking to himself. He's intentionally directing his attention toward God. Before asking God to do something next, David stops to remember what God has already done.
Biblically, remembering is more than recalling information. God's people sometimes “forgot” God even though they hadn't literally forgotten He existed. They forgot Him when they began living as though His past faithfulness had no bearing on their present circumstances.
Second, prayer remembers who God is, and what God has done. So David remembers.
- God forgives. David knew what it was to sin and experience God's mercy.
- God heals. He is the source of healing and restoration.
- God redeems. David could look backward and recognize times when God rescued, protected, restored, and carried him.
- God crowns us with love and compassion. His steadfast love isn't simply affection. It is loyal love that keeps showing up.
- And God satisfies with good things. He doesn't promise to give us everything we desire. He satisfies us with what He knows is good.
When you remember who God is and what He has done, your heart is shaped to trust and obey God today. You see His faithfulness in the past, and you can count on Him in the future. Even if He answers your prayer differently than you desire, you can know that His answer is best and for your good. You can have complete confidence in Him!
Third, prayer reminds us to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances. Paul teaches us this in 1 Thessalonians 5: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.”
This is God’s will for us! That’s why prayer isn't something we insert into life only when everything else fails. Prayer invites us to orient our lives toward God in all things and to trust Him in all ways as we pray. When we seek and live God’s will, prayer is our first response, not our last resort.
This ongoing, day-and-night rhythm of prayer begins to shape how we see our circumstances. Paul says it leads us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” He doesn't say every circumstance is good. We don't have to pretend pain doesn't hurt, minimize disappointment, or call tragedy good. Instead, prayer keeps turning our attention back to the God who is present in every circumstance. Even when we can't give thanks for what is happening, we can find reasons to give thanks as we walk through it. Why? Because our circumstances may change, but God's character doesn't. He is still good. He is still faithful. He is still present. He is still worthy of our trust.
So today, remember what God has done. Recognize who God has been. Then respond by placing what you're facing today into His hands. Our prayer becomes: “God, You've been faithful before. I believe You will be faithful again. I don't know what You will do, but I know who You are.” That's the prayer of someone who has discovered that God is more than enough.
Posted in More Than Enough