Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. —Psalm 4:1
At first, this cry for help seems very demanding by those of us who are praying to God. Closer inspection shows that this is really a cry of desperation — Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. Have you been there? We surely have, and We regularly hear from folks who are there right now. But, dear friend in Jesus, read this whole psalm. What is the secret to surviving a long agony? I believe three things are important, and they are found in this psalm:
- Honesty in our prayer life with God (Psalm 4:1-2).
- Confidence that God hears and cares even when our prayers sizzle with pain and frustration (Psalm 4:3-5).
- Genuine praise for God that is included in our prayers even when things seem bleak, others oppose us, and God feels distant (Psalm 4:6-8).
Such an approach to prayer is not a magical formula but a Spirit-inspired one — check it out in Psalm 4:1-8!