daily spiritual reflection - apr. 2

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: 

Listen to my words, Lord,

consider my lament.

Hear my cry for help,

my king and my God,

for to you I pray.

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait expectantly.

- Psalm 5:1-3

THOUGHT: This passage, an excerpt from a psalm of King David (one of the great ancient kings of Israel), tells us a little bit about prayer. A few things that caught my eye: 

- "my king and my God": David was a king himself, yet he recognized that even he needed to follow someone that could show him how to lead. so he intentionally reminds himself of the different roles that God was playing in his life-- holy creator worthy of reverence, actual ruler that was guiding him. Consider what other roles God might play that you would pray to him for. Also, note the "my"-- David recognized a sense of belonging between him and God. God was his king, and he was God's subject and child.

- "In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice": The first thing David did when he woke up was talk to God, and David writes that God hears him. Have you ever felt like you're just praying to the ceiling and the walls? This Psalm tells us that God hears our prayers, even when we can't tell.

- "I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly" - When you ask God for help or talk to him about some issue in your life, what is the expectation? Is prayer more of a good luck trinket that you carry around, or a 'cross your fingers and let's hope'? or when you pray do you look for the answer? do you expect something to change?

I love the word expectantly. I feel like it captures a sense of patience-- that most great change requires a process-- but also a sense of faith, that things will change and we will see it done. It is not boring or anti-climactic (not a to-do list or a wedding registry, for example) or even predictable. It's even a bit beyond comprehension... we expect something, but we aren't yet sure what. We often hear the words "expectant mother"... consider the joy of a mother who spends months preparing for the miraculous change that is going to enter her life, the way she looks for her child's coming and makes space for her child and is happy to talk about it with others.

CHALLENGE:  This week, try waking up 5 minutes earlier than you usually do (it won't kill your sleep cycle, I promise), and before you do anything else, ask God for help. Be specific in the things about your day, life, family, world, that you would like to see him work in. If your mind has a tendency to wander, write these things down.

Then, practice waiting expectantly for God. Try trusting that this God has heard your prayers, and rejoice in that. Make space for him to come. Share what you've been praying for with others. Look for the change that he will bring.

Whether you love praying or don't even know if there's a God who listens, just try 'expecting' and see what happens (it can't hurt.)