SCRIPTURE: Psalm 18
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. [Psalm 18:6-7] This psalm is a heartfelt response of love and gratitude after the Lord helped David in a powerful, supernatural way. David uses expressive, poetic language to describe how the Lord acts: earth shaking, smoke from nostrils, fire from mouth, hailstones and bolts of lightning. Not sure of the exact events that led to this description, but they must have been amazing.
It makes me think of Jesus, as He cries out to God on the cross. At first we might think that God does not answer. But think again. Something huge, something cosmic, is happening. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. [Matthew 27:50-51] The earth shook, rocks split, graves are opened, the dead are raised. God comes to the aid of Jesus, the Son of David, the righteous King of Israel. The cross may seem like a defeat, but it is the ultimate victory, for Jesus but also for all creation.
I think we minimize the impact of our prayer. When we pray, God is at work visibly and invisibly, working out His purpose in and through and around us. I suspect that David did not actually see smoke from the nostrils of God (you think?), but he interpreted God’s work in His life with eyes of faith, in cosmic proportions.
When we wrestle with God for someone who is sick, we are engaged in spiritual warfare. We are connecting to Holy Spirit power. We are working with the King to overcome the consequences of sin, death and hell. We are continuing the unfinished work of Christ, with Christ. We join with the God of the Universe in restoring creation, in establishing His Kingdom, in crushing the serpent. When we partner with God through prayer, the earth is shaking! But it takes eyes of faith to see this, to accept this.
There is no such thing as just praying. That’s like saying, “I just put my finger in the socket”. Think about your prayers today. Cosmic or commonplace?
PRAYER:
Lord, I am not just praying. I am connecting to Your awesomeness. May I see Your cosmic presence and power through my simple prayers today.
I am reading David Wilkinson’s book, the Cross & the Switchblade, and I am reminded again at how amazing God can lead us in our faith through prayer. For David Wilkinson, God challenged him to ask things in specific and look for the answers. How many times do I do this?
But it is not only in the asking but also in the anticipating to see the answers that our faith grows. Take that to another level and also share those requests and anticipations with someone else and then you involve others in your prayers. I have seen this with our prayer group at church where we hold each other accountable in our requests. We anticipate together on waiting on the Lord for the answers… there is no greater joy or faith building when you do that and see the creative way the Lord answers specifically those requests… again not always the way we think the answers will be given but surprisingly in ways that confirm and affirm the discernment of the Lord.
We miss out on such a banquet feast of Gods blessings when we get too busy to pray!
We too, like David in the Psalms can rejoice greatly in the Lord when we see the answers to our prayers
There is praying… saying prayers…like by rote…
And then there is being intentionally tuned in to God and praying…
David is so aware of God here, He sees and feels and knows that he is part of what God is doing.
Oh God let me pray intentionally, being aware of Who You are and What You are doing and that You are Awesome. Amen.