“I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer” - Psalm 17:6 (NIV).
A group of friends on a recent out of town trip just before the car pulled out of the driveway one of the passengers tapped on the driver. “Let’s pause and pray first!” Fortunately, the driver agreed and everyone in the car joined in prayer before setting off. It was a journey without incident.
Praying before an important event is always highly commendable. When Isaac was up for marriage Abraham gave his servant a task to go back to his country and get him a wife among his relatives. It was a tall order, for who just shows up among strangers and says, “hi I have been sent by my master to get a wife!”
Knowing how formidable the task was the servant did the most important of things. Once he approached the town of Nahor just before he made an advance on a certain party, “Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham” (Genesis 24:2). The Lord heard his prayers and he later returned with Rebekah.
As he was about to be arrested, Jesus, went “to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray… And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Mathew 26:36-39). The arrest would later take place; but Jesus had the strength to walk through the fire up to his crucifixion.
When once pressed down, King David prayed, “Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right” (Psalm 17:1-2). He knew that faced with any challenge, there was someone to turn to, one who could set the course right for him. Indeed he pleads, “Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes” (vv 7).
Today, or at any point, elsewhere, if you are just about to take on an important task, perhaps set off on a journey, have a matter about to be judged, need to secure something of value, how about pausing and taking a moment in prayer. For as the saying goes, “there is power in prayer.”
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I come to you with a prayer request that you grant me success in this matter, and that glory goes to you, this I pray in Jesus’s name.
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27/04/2024 - 28/04/2024 All day“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God” (Psalm 42:1).
In the wildlife, a common feature is predatory animals chasing after less ferocious ones, which on a bad day become good dinner. Through the savannah plains of Africa the antelope tends to suffer that fate. After a long chase from a mighty lion, cheetah or leopard; antelopes that survive tend to retreat to a fresh water spot. There they gladly refresh their quench with streams of water.
King David, must have been more familiar with deer, as there are more common in the Northern Hemisphere. For us in the tropics we can substitute the deer with our antelope, commonly chased by predators. After a long chase, of course all pant for pints of water.
The significance of this metaphor is that whenever we encounter any situation that puts us on a chase, where do we run to! Habakuk 3:19 says, “The Lord God give my strength. He helps me run fast like deer. He leads me safely on the mountains” (Habakuk 3:19).
Two things of note here. The Lord can make us run as fast as the fastest antelope being chased by a predator to a well of safety. And of course, as we run, we have that the well of God to end up to and refresh ourselves! This is why David wrote, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11).
Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today like the antelopes of the wildlife I run to you, to that well of life, which refreshes my soul, this I pray in Jesus’ name!
