PRAYING IN THE THICK OF IT
Opening Prayer
Faithful God, You are God, no matter what the situation looks like around me.
Read Psalm 28
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Of David.
1 To you, Lord, I call;
you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.
4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back on them what they deserve.
5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.
6 Praise be to the Lord,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How do you feel when people treat you badly? What do you do when you are treated badly?Psalm 28 is written by David in the midst of great difficulty and strife. He is surrounded by evildoers and confronted by hypocrites (3b). On every side he feels hemmed in by those who disregard God (5). It is a testing situation. He fears he might not even get through it, and he knows that he needs God’s help (1). So he calls out to the Lord his rock, desperate for help. David longs for justice (4,5)—for the wicked to be punished (4) and that he will be treated differently (3).
The great turning-point comes in verse 6 where David receives his answer and the mercy for which he pleaded. Look at verse 7 where he applies this truth to his own heart, and in verses 8 and 9 he extends these truths to the rest of his people.
This is a great model for us in the midst of trying situations. Like David, let’s turn our fears into prayers for the help, justice and mercy of God. He is our rock, our shield, our shepherd, our saving refuge and the strengthener of his people. May it be our God in whom our heart trusts and worships, even in tough times.
Apply
Look back over all the images David uses to describe his God in Psalm 28. How does each one help you respond rightly to difficult situations, now or in the future?
Closing prayer
Choose to trust God today—tell him of your determination.
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