Calling Out to God #7

 

In Scripture, prayer takes place in many forms:

David begins in Psalm 141

1 O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
    Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

    keep watch over the door of my lips!

4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil,

    to busy myself with wicked deeds

in company with men who work iniquity,

    and let me not eat of their delicacies!

5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;

    let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;

    let my head not refuse it.

David begins with Exclamation point, Exclamation point, Exclamation point! Please God, let me know You are here. Let me know you hear me. Let me know you smell me, just like the incense offered in the temple. Let me know you see me here with my hands lifted up in prayer and praise. David is crying out to be heard. But unlike many of his psalms where he launches into a lament about how he is being unjustly treated, David starts by asking God to help him shut up and listen. He asks Him to help him not be distracted by all the evil around him. He even asks God to send someone to rebuke him; he is open to correction and direction. Eventually, at the end of this psalm, David does ask God to deal with those who were giving him grief, but he asks God to deal with him first.  Are you willing to say to God today: "help me to just shut up and listen; help me to shut out the distractions and temptations; help me to receive your correction and direction."?