Psalms – Prayers of Honesty
When we read words by humans inspired by God and whom God chose to write in His Word about Him, we are humbled. We are humbled because God’s Holy Spirit is sitting right here with us as we read. We are convicted of our own humanness before our great and mighty God. We are brought low, bowing, on our knees as we realize who the One and Only is who created us. When we posture ourselves in humility before Him, God has a way to reach down with His right hand and lift us up. He encourages us to look up, into his loving and gracious eyes and see Him for who He really is to us…our salvation.
God is everything we need, all that we desire and all that the world and us need. He is life. He is love unconditional. He is light in the dark places of insecurity. He is protector. He is provider. He is healer of all that our bodies endure. He is the Way as we go on our way. He is Truth that never changes and always will be, whether we choose to believe it or not.
We long for God for He created a longing for Him. But He does not force Himself on us. He wants us to want Him. He does not want us to come to Him because of duty although duty, thankfulness and obligation might bring us to Him to begin to know Him.
Pure worship is like breathing. We worship without thinking about it, planning it, arranging it, or exercising it. Pure worship is laying down who we think we are and what we think we can do to God. “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.” (Romans 12) This is worship. This is God.As we read our next prayer of honesty in David’s greatest hits, another song is playing in the background of my mind,
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God…
Psalm 63, The Message
A David Psalm, When He Was out in the Judean Wilderness
God—you’re my God! I can’t get enough of you!
I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God,
traveling across dry and weary deserts.
2-4 So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
My arms wave like banners of praise to you.
5-8 I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy; I smack my lips. It’s time to shout praises!
If I’m sleepless at midnight,
I spend the hours in grateful reflection.
Because you’ve always stood up for me,
I’m free to run and play.
I hold on to you for dear life,
and you hold me steady as a post.
9-11 Those who are out to get me are marked for doom,
marked for death, bound for hell.
They’ll die violent deaths;
jackals will tear them limb from limb.
But the king is glad in God;
his true friends spread the joy,
While small-minded gossips
are gagged for good.
SOMETHING TO CHEW…SOMETHING TO SING…
Light of the worldYou stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God
HEART CHECK
Worship to God that is pleasing to Him includes how we love, honor and relate to each other. Worship of God does not include gossip, unkind words and actions toward each other. “…his true friends spread the joy, while small-minded gossips are gagged for good.” God wants His children to get along just like we parents and grandparents want that for our families.
Does our worship to God include gossip of others? Do we stop and consider God’s Truth in times of temptations to bring others down so that self power and self esteem can be lifted up artificially. That leads us to dry deserts where there is no Living Water.
God lifts those who bow down.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you’re my God.
In Jesus Name, Amen
David stops to wait and be still before God. He waits as long as it takes for David to realize all that God is. David realizes that his obedience in waiting leads to his assurance that he is standing in the right place, on solid ground, the rock that does not shift and move with circumstances around him. 
1-2 God, the one and only—
5-6 God, the one and only—
11 God said this once and for all;
As I walk now through the valley
In Jesus Name, we continue to pray and listen…
3-5 You’ve always given me breathing room,
SOMETHING TO CHEW…
Sincere, honest prayer is an exercise of our faith, trust and knowledge of God. It is an activity that draws us humbly to Him, admitting we cannot do this on our own and we need His help. Prayer is an admission that we need Him every hour to guide us to being our best while doing what He has invited us to be and do. Prayer aligns our hearts with His.
Yes, we are at our best when we leave the rest to God. So, what happened this week? I have been waiting for weeks for word of a plan of action so our part of the project could be accomplished. As the wait grew longer, I considered pulling out of the project only because I was wondering if maybe this was not God’s will for us at this time. I trust God but I don’t always trust my ability to hear Him well, so I prayed sincerely, “God, what do YOU want”? We do not want to jump ahead of your best for all concerned. Show this simple daughter of yours what is next. 
God did exactly that before my prayer was off my mind. God was at work before my prayer was uttered, preparing hearts, prompting minds and filling in the details a bit more. We have to always remember, God is working while we are praying. We have to be okay with the wait. It is in the wait that we grow our trust and faith. God is working before our prayer leaves our lips, during our prayer and after. God is ALWAYS at work. Unlike us who must rest between tasks. Prayer is keeping in rhythm with the ebb and flow of God’s graceful dance. Join God where He is at work. This is the best place to be! 
6-8 That’s when God spoke in holy splendor,
David cried out to God throughout his lifetime in humbled honesty, in sincere praise and with gratitude for God’s Presence. David never felt closer to God as when he is facing challenging problems.
Who can you count on when trouble comes? Who can you call when you just need to talk it out? When we really stop to think about it we narrow our family and friends down to just a few, maybe just one other person on this earth that we would completely trust with our momentary feeling and frustrations. That trusting person, for me, is usually one who also relies on God’s voice and what He has to say. Who is that for you?
1-2 My God! Rescue me from my enemies,
6-7 They return when the sun goes down,
Catch them out and bring them down
There is a reason David’s chorus is repeated in this prayer psalm to God. We need to stop gazing, wallowing, and wondering in the midst of trouble and deep problems and look up and around to see how God is going to work. We can learn a lot just by watching God do it. The more trusting we are of God the more our faith is bolstered and secured in God for the next challenging situation in life. We learn that our temporary setbacks, problems and situations are small in comparison to our magnificent, glorious God. He is GOD, we are not. Our friends are not.
When we play games with our grandkids it is always interesting to hear them declare, “Play by the rules!”, but only if they are losing at the moment. As grandparents, when they were much younger, we might fudge on some of the rules so they could stay in the game until they learned how to play it. 
3-5 The wicked crawl from the wrong side of the cradle;
10-11 The righteous will call up their friends
HEART CHECK:
LET’S GO A BIT DEEPER…
1-3 Be good to me, God—and now!
“Wake” (by Hillsong)
WHAT is that word from God that He will say first to you? “You’re my child and I love you no matter what!” Isn’t that crazy! God begins with WHO we are, not what He wants from us. GOD LOVES US! WE BELONG TO HIM! How cool and encouraging is that? That, alone, is one of our strongest defenses against whatever will be thrown at us in this life…for today. That’s what “daily manna” is all about. Seriously, we can only handle one day at a time, right? 
When I get really afraid
8 You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
1-3 Open your ears, God, to my prayer;
9-11 Come down hard, Lord—slit their tongues.
16-19 I call to God;
When I got home I told Randy the news. He was just as glad as I was for he was seeing my physical health affected. He felt the stress I was carrying. Married couples do that. They feel together. We cried happy tears. We had no clue what was going to happen next but we knew for sure God was in control and would take care of us. 
1-2 God, for your sake, help me!
