Psalms – Prayers of Honesty and Praise
“I’m so ready for Christmas to be over!” was heard from a friend who is struggling with loss. “I’m so ready for a new year, this past year was hard.” “I’m so ready to leave work and rest for awhile.” “I’m so ready for these kids to grow up.” “I’m so ready for ….” You can probably fill in the blank with your own words. What are you “so ready” for today? What are you longing for and can wait to receive?
David is ready for God to give him the victory. He prays for it, believing he will receive God’s help. And guess what? God is ready to help him because where God guides, He provides all we need to accomplish the work HE invites to to do. David knows this well and puts all his trust and faith in God.
But there is something else that we see if we look a bit closer in the back story of David’s relationship with God. God loved David as the “apple of his eye” from birth. Why, because of David’s devoted love for God. This love began to grow as a young shepherd boy and continued to being the chosen king of God’s people. You see, God saw into David’s heart…as He sees into all our hearts. God saw that David loved God intimately with a grateful, humble heart, with a belief that “God can do anything” mind all wrapped up in a soul who filled himself with God’s love and care for him. David cannot help but praise God with song and dance. He is FULL of the glory of the God who loved him first! Wow. 
That’s why David stands ready, so ready to praise God! David saw God before he saw Goliath and all the other challenging battles of his life. He knows the victory will come so he readies himself for praise and worship BEFORE the battle is even fought!! Do you see the implication for us today?
Psalm 108, The Message
A David Prayer
1-2 I’m ready, God, so ready,
ready from head to toe.
Ready to sing,
ready to raise a God-song:
“Wake, soul! Wake, lute!
Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”
3-6 I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets, singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
Cover the whole earth with your glory!
And for the sake of the one you love so much,
reach down and help me—answer me!
7-9 That’s when God spoke in holy splendor: “Brimming over with joy,
I make a present of Shechem,
I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.
Gilead’s in my pocket,
to say nothing of Manasseh.
Ephraim’s my hard hat,
Judah my hammer.
Moab’s a scrub bucket—
I mop the floor with Moab,
Spit on Edom,
rain fireworks all over Philistia.”
10-11 Who will take me to the thick of the fight?
Who’ll show me the road to Edom?
You aren’t giving up on us, are you, God?
refusing to go out with our troops?
12-13 Give us help for the hard task;
human help is worthless.
In God we’ll do our very best;
he’ll flatten the opposition for good.
THINK ABOUT IT…
Being ready for God with praise for what God will do before He does it is not just merely human optimism. This, my friends, is abiding, unswerving FAITH in the God of all, in all, who created all and is in control of all. It is an intimate love who has experience in God loves for him. It is knowing God so well that you begin to see how He works and it fills your soul with joy, peace and calm in good times and tough times.
David does not run FROM battles but runs TO battles that God sends him to fight knowing full well the victory will be God’s through David. David is full of confidence because of his undying trust in God. LET’S BE HONEST…
We also know that David was not perfect and he fell into temptation that took his eyes off the first love of his life…God. David’s life was turned upside down in reckless turmoil until Nathan the prophet intervened on God’s behalf and brought David’s heart, mind and soul back to God, loving and relying on God instead of his own selfish methods of living life.
Yes David fell. We fall. Fortunately for all of us, God sent His One and Only Son, Jesus to rescue and save us from self that leads to all that is not God. Jesus intervened for us, like Nathan did for David, so that we can come back to God whole again with sins forgiven. When our focus falls from God, remember God did not leave us…we left Him. Eyes first, it seems, then the rest of our frail humanness follows. SO…Come back. Look up. Focus on God. Seek God. Follow God. He will never let us down. Never. That’s not God.
HEART CHECK:
Am I “ready, so ready” for victory instead of whining for challenging events to just be over?
OR….am I ready to live life with gratitude, joy and peace knowing God will fight every battle for me?
Am I ready to praise God now before the battles of challenging times come in my life?
Am I ready to worship God with “head to toe”, (all that is within me), by giving my life to God? See Romans 12 for how to do this daily.
Are you ready, so ready to praise God before the battle has begun?
“I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets,
singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.”
Dear Heavenly Father,
After being with you in prayer, reading your word, and listening to your Holy Spirit teach me, I can declare, I’m ready, so ready to live knowing your love, grace and mercy for me. This alone readies me for what lies ahead for today. You are here with me. You are with everyone who calls on Your Name. You are God and we are not. No one is like You. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit.
I’m ready, so ready!
In Jesus Name, Amen
I’m ready to sing…
Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God…
(Cory Asbury – Reckless Love)
