This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 61. Here is what I learned.
Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. Psalm 61:1 (AMP)
God, listen to me shout, bend an ear to my prayer. Psalm 61:1 (MSG)
Cry. Shout.
The word rendered cry in this place sometimes denotes a joyful shout - a shout of triumph; but the connection makes it certain that it here refers to the voice of prayer. It is implied that it was audible prayer, or that the psalmist gave utterance to his desires in words. It is language such as would be produced by deep distress; when a sad and burdened heart gives vent to its feelings in a loud cry for mercy. Barnes' Notes on the Bible
As I read this verse this morning, I first am very grateful that when I am in trouble, or distress, that I can cry out to my God and He hears me. But is that the ONLY time I cry out to God?
Do you like to hear people complain—all the time? I know I don’t. And I don’t like to hear kids (or even worse adults) with a “give me attitude”. But how often do my prayers to God sound just like that.... full of complaints and give me lists? Thankful that God hears and listens to my prayers.... but maybe, prayers need to be more than just complaints and wish lists.
Prayer. What is prayer? Simply put, prayer is talking with God. It’s a conversation.
Prayer is not a vending machine—say the right words and get what you want. Prayer is the privilege of communicating with God.
Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means for getting something for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself. -Oswald Chambers
So when we sing, 'Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,' we are not thinking of the nearness of place, but of the nearness of relationship. It is for increasing degrees of awareness that we pray, for a more perfect consciousness of the divine Presence. We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts. A.W. Tozer
Communication. So simple. So vital. So taken for granted.
When I pray, I need to remember to Whom I’m talking—God Almighty! And as I talk with God, I need to stop my complaining and giving Him my wish list, and spend time getting to know Him.
To create a positive day, my conversations with God need to be more about Him, and less about me.
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