How to Pray in Tough Times
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
David wrote this psalm as a prayer while he was in the wilderness being pursued by King Saul. Saul was trying to kill David. David had two basic choices while being pursued. First he could have focused on his problem and circumstances or second he could find a way to maintain his relationship with God. David describes the place where he found himself as a dry and weary land where there is no water. David had a proper perspective on life. He knew to live in the NOW by keeping his focus on God. He had to avoid the sin of looking back to BEFORE when things could seem better, and he knew to believe the impossible of LATER. David's approach was as simple as the ABC's are to a school child.
The ABC's of NOW: Remember to Focus on Jesus (God) if you are going to succeed.
- ACKNOWLEDGE God. That may seem over simplified but those who do not acknowledge God openly and often many times find themselves far from God. David started his prayer, not with a request, but by acknowledging who was in charge of his life by saying, O God, you are my God.
- BECOME a thankful person. This is an attitude that determines your usefulness to God. David does not say he has received a lot from God. What he does say is, I will be satisfied as with the richest of foods. David has berries picked on the run, bread handed to him as he passes through a town, water dipped from a stream he has stumbled upon as he keeps just ahead of King Saul. To David these are as the riches foods because they were provided by God. Now contrast that attitude to the Hebrews in the wilderness who had fresh water, manna, and quail given to them daily straight from God. All they could do was complain and look back.
- CALL on God continually. David said that he his lips would glorify God. He was going to praise Him. He would sing to God. David would do it all day and through the watches of the night. David did not only come to God when he had a problem or a tough situation he wanted handled. He did it all the time with a positive attitude.
The ABC's of BEFORE: Remember Jesus warned us not to look back.
- AVOID giving in to circumstances. David found himself in a dry and weary land. We all have different circumstances. They may be financial, emotional, spiritual, interpersonal it does not matter. The first mistake most people make is to focus on their circumstances so they cannot see anything else.
- BEWARE of the lies. There are those who want to lead you backward and away from God. David said that the mouth of liars will be silenced. We have to be careful that we do not get caught up in the negative lies people tell us.
- CHOOSE your path carefully. Those who choose a path other than God's chosen path will be destroyed; go down to the depths; they will be silenced.
The ABC's of LATER: To serve God you have to believe the impossible.
- ACCEPT the impossible. David was on the run but he was not defeated. He knew that those who seek my life will be destroyed. You serve the God who created the world. Who feeds multitudes, who defends the weak, who has promised never to leave you, ever.
- BELIEVE HIS promises. This should not be hard. God's love is better than life. You are a child of God. He has made promises to you that he plans to keep. Even if you cannot see how God can do it remember it may come as an abundance of quail or it may be a handful of berries beside a stream.
- CHALLENGE yourself to succeed. Once again it starts with your personal attitude. David said, I will praise you as long as I live. Those who have not made a lifelong commitment are only waiting for something to help them turn back. You need to have determined that no matter what happens in your life you are staying on God's side and are planning to finish up with God no matter what.
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