https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fallaner
I listened
to a podcast called, Exploring my Strange Bible, by Tim Mackie the other day.
It was about how to pray like the people who wrote the Psalms. He said the
Psalms are there for us to learn how to pray. Many times I have prayed with the
Psalms, repeating the words as my own prayer. But he wasn’t talking about that.
He was teaching us how to pray like
the men in the Psalms.
He said a
third of the Psalms are about pain and sorrow. They are called “Lament and Protest
Psalms.” In these prayers, David and others give a detailed description of what
is going on in their lives how they feel about it. They hold no emotion back.
In our
western culture, we don’t usually do that. We tend to think God already knows
everything so all we usually do is ask for help. We might say, “Oh God, I’m so
depressed, help me.” And I know God answers those prayers. But Mackie said that
telling God everything helps us in a different way.
He said
people do one of two things with their emotions. They either stuff them deep
down and perhaps deny them; or they pour out our emotions to other people. Both
of these reactions are more harmful than good. When we tell others all our sad,
mad feelings, we can make them feel sad and mad.
For me,
sharing my sad thoughts with people has not helped. They usually don’t want to
hear it, casually brush me off or try to offer solutions that don’t work. I
feel alone and misunderstood.
When I push
my emotions aside and don’t deal with them, I become very depressed. I feel
alone and despairing. Then I go to a counselor and pay them to listen to me. Which does help, but not enough.
The Bible
says, “Pour out your heart to God.” Psalm 62:8, Lamentations 2:19. Mackie says
after telling God our thoughts and feelings, then make a request. Don’t tell
God what to do, just tell him the situation and your feelings about that and believe
me, he will know what to do for us and it will be wonderful.
Mackie says
we should do the same thing with our doubts about God. If you are doubting his
goodness, then tell him that and then request he strengthen your faith.
Many times
the Psalmists remind God of what he has done in the past for people. They
usually reference the Exodus from Egypt. Reminding God of his past mercies
seems a bit strange to me, but I’ve been doing it because it is a part of their
prayers. “Remember how you helped Joseph when he was in jail? Help me too.”
Most Psalms
end with praising God for all he has done. I think that is a great way to end
our prayers. We start out looking inside ourselves at our sorrow and pain, then
around us at the chaos in the world, and we are discouraged. But then we lift
up our heads and look at God and know he sees and feels it all; and this life,
this world, will one day be over and we will be with the amazing God of the
universe and so we praise him.
