GET WELL SOON
Opening Prayer
Lord, thank You for being approachable.
Read PSALM 61
Psalm 61[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[b]
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Increase the days of the king’s life,
his years for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.
8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name
and fulfill my vows day after day.
Footnotes:
a Psalm 61:1 In Hebrew texts 61:1-8 is numbered 61:2-9.
b Psalm 61:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
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.
Meditate
You do not need to pretend with God. He knows you from the inside out, so be yourself. Know that his love never fails.
Think Further
One of the privileges of a saving faith is knowing that you are never alone. The gift of prayer allows us to speak honestly and with personal feeling to God. Our prayers are more desperate on some days than on others. The very faith that drives us to pray can also, in its tone, carry the doubt about whether prayer will make any difference. Faith as small as a grain of mustard seed is all that is needed (Luke 17:6), and the psalmist strengthens his faith by recalling the God to whom he prays. This is no tribal deity but the Lord of all the earth. This is no stranger but one who has proved reliable in the past.
Even when God answers our prayers and we say that we will never doubt again, we still find that we have to start from the beginning the next time we need God’s help and strength. So the psalmist speaks to himself as much as to God, reassuring himself that when he has trusted in God he has not gone disappointed. The imagery of a refuge and a strong tower are powerful symbols of God’s protection in the past. God, in his grace, wants relationship and time spent together, whether at home or while journeying.
The focus of the psalmist’s prayer seems to be on his king’s health and the uncertainty his death would provoke. In his day, the king was the custodian of the nation’s power, the one who directed the nation. As good kings were few and far between, the godly wanted to keep a good one for as long as possible. There was no guarantee that his successor would be able to fill his shoes. But if God were to watch over his representative the king, then the psalmist’s worship and praise would be daily and generous. Perhaps we should all pray more for our leaders.
Apply
Pray for those you often depend on and look up to. They may have needs you know nothing about.
Closing prayer
Lord, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I so that I may find true refuge in times of distress.
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