suffering

Prayer is the shield, spear, thunderbolt, defense – this is for you

prayer-warrior-bible-verses

Psalm 70 captures my attention today mainly because of a quote from Martin Luther. He said that “prayer is the shield, spear, thunderbolt and defense against every attack of fear, presumption [and] lukewarmness…which are especially dominant today.” The quote was written by James Montgomery Boice but I could not find its source.

This plea, here in the Psalm 70, is for deliverance but it is also one of remembrance of the many times God had already delivered.

Save me, O God!
    Lord, help me now! – Psalm 70:1 GNT

I wonder if I even come close to praying with such a sense of urgency. If I had maybe I would be praying more often.

“The petitions in this form of the psalm emphasize the urgency of the matter. There is not a moment to lose; or so it appears.” Kidner

“The circumstances were those of suffering…made more poignant by the gloating gladness of enemies…The troubled soul knew that help was only to be found in God. His difficulty was that God did not seem to be acting with sufficient speed. (God) was at least leisurely, when the need seemed pressing; He was not hastening, in spite of the urgency. So it appeared to this troubled heart, and so it has constantly appeared to those who have suffered. One of the supreme glories of the Psalter is that it gives us a song like this, expressing a common human experience, even though it reveals a mistaken conception of God. God never needs to be called upon to hasten. He is never tarrying uselessly or carelessly. Indeed, we may say that often: “Through the thick darkness He is hastening,” that is, through the very darkness which makes us imagine He is inactive, or unduly delaying His help. Nevertheless, He understands our cry. We may use any terms in our prayers, if they are directed to Him, knowing that He will understand, and in His understanding, interpret our faulty terms by His own perfect knowledge, and give us His best answers to our deepest need.” – G. Campbell Morgan

May those who try to kill me
    be defeated and confused.
May those who are happy because of my troubles
    be turned back and disgraced.
May those who make fun of me
    be dismayed by their defeat. – Psalm 70:2-3 GNT

“The psalmist prays for his enemies’ fall and shame in accordance with the principles of justice and with the promise of God to curse those who cursed his own.” – VanGemeren

“For success in evil encourages even more evil and establishes the evil doer in his or her ways. The kindest thing we can pray for people who do wrong is that their plans will fail, for it may be that in their frustration they will see the folly and true end of evil and be reached for God.” –  James Boice

Peter offers an additional perspective – a post evil – or maybe it is an attitude that gets me through it so that when I am delivered I am wiser and better for it.

But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation. – 1 Peter 5:10 GNT

There is a calmness to Peter’s prayer – maybe it is one of confidence that He trusts God to answer. It is an exhortation that I am encouraged to pray for those who are suffering – and the good news is there – this is for them.

“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance”. – Martin Luther

 

 

 

Rebellious or suffering prayer

lonely-man-beach-prayer

I found the first use of the word, “amen.” in the Bible – and it means “I agree,” “let it be,” “so be it.”

The woman shall respond, “I agree; may the Lord do so.” Numbers 5:22 GNT

It is about being in a place where God makes a commandment that needs to be accepted and I yield to His involvement in my life.

Those times become easier when I understand that my life is transient.   

“Lord, how long will I live?
When will I die?
    Tell me how soon my life will end.”How short you have made my life!In your light my lifetime seems nothing. Indeed every living being is no more than a puff of wind, no more than a shadow. All we do is for nothing; we gather wealth, but don’t know who will get it. – Psalm 39:4-6 GNT

I am becoming more aware of this as I get older and as I look at my suffering through a different set of lens. I pray that I might learn from these times and that I may learn well. In the past I would pray to be relieved and upon that happening I would revert back to the mindset that life will go on for a long time – that cannot be anymore. I cannot forget how transient I am.

Don’t punish me any more!
    I am about to die from your blows. – Psalm 39:10 GNT

I cannot prevent the voice of prayer from being part of my life – it must never cease. I know the Lord will listen to my prayer to remove my troubles, especially if I am resigned to it. I am fully acquiescent to the divine will, yet my heart still can pray for Him to deliver me. It is when I am rebellious that I have stopped to pray about the trials in my life. Only when I turned to be submissive that I asked for mercy. I come close to being consumed from His blows but I know they are not meant to do so, they are meant to confront and discipline me from my sins.

That our wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12), we see plainly when we begin to take notice of the outward hindrances which are placed in the way of our prayers from day to day. When those hours of the day come in which we should be having our prayer- sessions with God, it often appears as though everything has entered into a conspiracy to prevent it, human beings, animals, and, above all, the telephone (and today – cell phones and computers). It is not difficult to see that there is a veiled hand in the complot. Woe to the Christian who is unacquainted with these foes! The first and the decisive battle in connection with prayer is the conflict which arises when we are to make arrangements to be alone with God every day. If the battle is lost for any length of time at this point, the enemy has already won the first skirmish. But even though we do gain the victory at the threshold of our prayer chambers, our prayer-struggle is by no means over. Our enemies will pursue us deliberately into our very prayer rooms. And here our carnal natures and Satan will take up the battle anew, though from a somewhat different angle. Now every effort will be concentrated upon making our prayer session as brief as possible, or upon distracting us so completely that we are not even now given an opportunity to be alone with God. My friend, do you know anything about this battle? As you kneel to speak with your Lord, it seems as though everything you have to do appears vividly before your mind’s eye. You see especially how much there is to do, and how urgent it is that it be done, at least some of it. As these thoughts occur, you become more and more restless. You try to keep your thoughts collected and to speak with God, but you succeed only for a moment now and then. Your thoughts flit back and forth between God and the many pressing duties which await you. Your prayer hour becomes really the most restless hour of the day. Your mind is literally torn to shreds. Joy, peace and rest are as far from you as the east is from the west. And the longer you prolong the session, the more you feel. – Prayer (Copyright 1931) By Ole Hallesby (Norway) Pages 91,92, 93