The following was originally posted on November 12, 2004.
We are most human when we pray. When we realize that without God we are nothing more than ashes and dust. When we realize that we are not God. Most prayer begins with a need that cannot be met by our own devices and this is where the Psalms begin. Psalm 3 is a prayer to God for deliverance. In order to fully begin to enter in to praying with the Psalms we need to develop an understanding of the story that accompanies them. II Samuel 13-15 tells a tragic story of rape, murder, betrayal & conspiracy. When David prays in Psalm 3 he is praying to be delivered from the pursuit of his own son, Absalom. I think one of the reasons some people have a hard time praying through the Psalms is because they don't think their story is compatible with the story of the Bible. While our own lives may not be as dramatic as David’s, we all have things that we need to be delivered from. I am a broken man and am constantly being reminded of how much I need a God who comes to the rescue.
003 Arise, O Lord
All around me, past the counting, the enemy closes in
They pursue me, running through me saying, “God will not save him”.
But still you shield me on all sides.
You give me strength, lift my head high
Hear me crying out to you
Arise, O Lord
Deliver me
Arise, O Lord
And set me free
I will lie down, I will stand up, in the rhythm of your grace
As you love me, I will not fear, you put everything in place
My God will shield me on all sides
You give me strength, lift my head high
Hear me crying out to you
Arise, O Lord
Deliver me
Arise, O Lord
And set me free
Defend your own
For all to see
Arise, O Lord
And set me free
© 2005 Parson John Publishing (ASCAP), by Brian Moss
Brian,
I can echo the comment above about being a broken man needing a God to rescue. Thanks for the reminder that each of our stories is signifcant.
Arise Oh Lord and deliver us!
Posted by: carl | May 07, 2005 at 08:16 PM