A Rhythm of Prayer

Psalm 4 A Rhythm of Prayer Introduction: Once again here in Psalm 4 the Psalmist is in a distressing situation. Because of this he cries out to God. But notice his approach to this is neither bitterness, frustration, nor isolation. Instead, it is clear and level headed. He prays to God, He speaks to his oppressors, he speaks to other believers and most likely he is also speaking to himself - a sort of self-talk. When are you most likely to pray? I usually prayer when I'm distressed, fearful, feeling powerless and overwhelmed, in need, attacked (spiritually or physically, emotionally), when I'm directionless or condemned by my own sin.. the list goes on. But the point is that we usually prayer when there is a need. The Psalmist obviously understands prayer as petition, bringing our request to God. But Prayer was more than that for the Psalmist. It was a way of life, it was a way of communing with God. The Psalmist seems to have developed a rhythm, a pattern in his own life of personal prayer. He has a rhythm of Evening and Morning prayer. This isn't my own personal thought or observation but actually an ancient Christian thought. Christians for the last two thousand or so years have taken queues from Psalm 4 and Psalm 5 as Evening and Morning prayers. Eugene Peterson says this pattern falls in line with the Lords Prayer in fact. Jesus taught us to pray "Our Father who art in Heaven, Holy be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Peterson says, "It is first evening prayer, then morning prayer. The order is not reversible." "Psalm 4 marks the transition from the daylight world, in which it is easy to suppose that we are in control, to the night world in which we relinquish our grips on jobs, people, even thoughts, and experience the will that is greater than ours, the God who answers previous to our asking, who acts previous to our prompting." He goes on further, but the idea is that at evening we place ourselves firmly in the will of God, entrusting ourselves to His kingdom rule, so we can truly rest, and in the morning we rise to meet with the Lord to receive our orders, through prayer, to do God's work, to put the world to rights (Psalm 5, and Matthew 6 thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven). See the scripture gives us prescribed rhythms for our lives. Evening and morning. To delight in God's word, to reflect on the day, to think of our frustrations, to confess our sins, and to apply his forgiveness, to speak to God and to speak to ourselves. Yes, we are individuals and the way that this rhythm looks will vary based upon personality. But we need this for personal growth, for spiritual and physical health. Reading through this Psalm and reflecting on tit this week has convicted me. Because i'm at a season of life where I am not practicing this Biblical rhythm, and I feel it. Honestly, I spend a lot of my evenings watching Netflix or dinking around online. (Yes, I also fellowship, spend time with my wife and my kids, and do all sorts of other things) But when It comes down to m personal time I haven't been a great steward. I've actually heard many Orthodox Christians criticize Evangelicals because by and large we lack the Ancient rhythms of the people of God that bring balance, joy and peace to daily Christian living. 1. Distressed Again 1. As I mentioned, apparently the Psalmist, David, in particular, is in a distressing situation yet again. Usually we have two responses when we are feeling this way -fight or flight -David instead points us to prayer - prayer brings us into communication with God which is what our hearts, minds, and bodies really need, not just for perspective but for life and health, for rest and peace. But in this Psalm David seems to have his head on straight and I believe it was because David had found a healthy rhythm in his life. 2. As you can see there are two types of people in this psalm: The fight -vengeful, the one who is enraged, angry at their circumstance - vs 2-4 "O men,[a] how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah 3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;the Lord hears when I call to him.4 Be angry,[b] and do not sin" 3. And then there is the flight -the pessimist, those who are defeated by their circumstance - vs.6 -"There are many who say, "Who will show us some good?" 4. Both of these perspectives come through focusing solely on the current issue, it has you in a kind of tunnel vision. David won't go there. He isn't going to ignore his circumstance, but he also isn't going to obsess over it. He's going to think through it in light of everything he knows about God.....he is going to talk to the Lord 1. A side note. Doesn't it seem like there is always something life threatening or distressing going on in the Psalmist life? Maybe some of you feel the same. It seems the moment you get your head above water the next wave washes over you....finances, relationship, settled in your living situation, your schedule. Can I just suggest that perhaps, perhaps God is trying to get your attention? I'm not necessarily suggesting that God is causing these things to happen in your life, but perhaps God is allowing these things because he is trying to get your attention. 5. We often quote the first statement of the Westminster Catechism here at Refuge: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever." If that is the purpose of every single one of our lives wouldn't it make sense that God allows struggle and hardship in our lives to drive us to him that we might arrive at this destined purpose, so that we would see how good and glorious he is, but also that we might have relationship/fellowship with him? 2. Contemplation #1 1. Thought - Are you ignoring the promptings of the Spirit to pray and fellowship with God? Think back on your week. What have you been angry over or, what has caused you stress, what has brought you despair? 2. Confession - Please take a moment to search your heart, to open up your life to the searching of the Spirit and confess your anger and despair to the Lord. 3. Scripture - "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" 4. Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen." - Thomas Cranmer 5. Prayer - (Pray Aloud Together) Give ear, merciful God, to our confession. Restore us, O God! Forgive us for the things we have done. Restore us, O God! Forgive us for the things we have left undone. Restore us, O God! For the people we've hurt, and the relationships we've broken. Restore us, O God! For the societal illnesses we ignore, and the injustices we dismiss. Restore us, O God! Forgive us, for we are sorry and recognize our need of your grace. Make your face to shine upon us that we might be saved! 1. God has given ear to our confession and God's face has shined upon us! In the name of Jesus Christ, you and I are saved: saved from our sins, saved to our faithful savior, whose steadfast love is gifted to us! 3. David's Clarity and Rhythm 1. As I said before David is in a great place mentally, emotionally, spiritually, in this Psalm even though physically he seems to be in a bad situation. This really shows us that so often our attitudes and emotions are based not on our situation but on our perspective. 2. First David prays - But listen to David's pray. List to his forwardness. "Listen to me God, answer me when I call! That is some confidence in God's favor over him; confident that God will both hear and answer; that is some boldness. 3. Remember the past- Recounting God's faithfulness in the past - Past experience emboldens the faithful to confident prayer- we need to remember God's faithful acts, whether to his people at large or to us as individuals - how has God answered your cries, your prayers in the past? 4. Knows confidently Your current status - "But know that the Lord has set the godly apart for himself" - God hears the prayers of his people - the godly is set apart (special attention and affection) for God - meaning for personal fellowship or relationship - we are assured that he hears. Here in this verse the word "godly" has a connection to the hebrew word "hasid" meaning steadfast love or faithfulness. Therefore the "godly" ones are those who have genuinely laid hold of God's steadfast love; here in its singular form it stresses that each faithful member of God's people may have the confidence of God's unfailing love. 1. This is a truth for every believer - we are recipients of the unfailing love of God, we cannot earn it, we cannot lose it. 2. "Do you believe that the God of Jesus loves you beyond worthiness and unworthiness, beyond fidelity and infidelity - that he loves you in the morning sun and the evening rain- that he loves you when your intellect denies it, your emotions refuse it, your whole being rejects it. Do you believe that God loves without condition or reservation and loves you this moment as you are and not as you should be." - Brennan Manning 5. Know what you need more than anything else - The presence of the Lord "Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!" 7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." 6. In another psalm David writes, "In your presence there is fulness of Joy and at your right hand there are pleasures evermore." 1. David essentially says, Lord, if I have you I have everything I truly need. 2. See that clarity? 4. Now the rhythm 1. "Ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. 2. Again I believe David had this clarity, and this ability to exhort and encourage others because of a healthy spiritual rhythm in his life. 3. "We live in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship." -C.S. Lewis 4. There are one thousand things vying for your attention, and they are distracting you from the one thing that is absolutely essential for your life - the Presence of God, God's face shining on you. 1. I think it was A.W. Tozer that once said that our relationship with God is the one relationship that puts all other relationships in their right place. When you have fellowship with God - it gives life, it gives perspective, it gives strength to the other areas of your life - you have rest, and peace, you have love, and joy, strength to be a good husband, parent or friend... 2. And yet this is the relationship, the rhythm that we struggle with the most, the one that we neglect the most. 1. David's Knowledge of God's Faithfulness and Ours 5. Contemplation #2 1. Thought - How often do you praise and thank the Lord? "You answered me when I was in distress"...or have you been, do you rationalize God's answers to your prayers? 2. Confession - Lord, we Ignore you. We take you for granted, we assume upon your grace... Confess this to the Lord 3. Take a moment to thank the Lord - for your salvation, for past victories, for answered prayer, for faithfulness to you in the midst of your unfaithfulness to him. 1. Thank the Lord for his continued faithfulness in your life. Thank him that he hears and answers your prayers 2. Recognize his unfailing love for you - and respond with thanksgiving. Recognize how his presence is all sufficient - think about what you turn to for sufficiency, what you long for, what you worry about...David says that the joy God puts in our heart is greater than any joy we have when our prosperity is abounding. You have all that you need in God - If you don't know that to be true -ask of him. God put the Joy of your presence in my heart, cause me to live in light of that reality. 4. Scripture -"For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future-all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." - 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 5. Scripture - "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 6. Scripture - "For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for[d] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" 7. Prayer - (Pray Aloud Together) God the one true constant, the only faithful one in all of my life. Lord, I take your sovereign care for granted. Every night I go to sleep and the world keeps spinning, my heart keeps beating, my lungs keep breathing. I awake to a new day, with new mercies. In your loving care you sustain all things. Lord I forget to thank you, I forget to recognize you and praise you for your care. Lord I have not given you the place and priority in my life that you deserve! Forgive my ungrateful heart. Work in me, that I might honor you, in all I say and all I do. Holy Spirit, direct my affections that I might seek you first. That I would daily lay my life in your hands......."Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." 1. Now Father, receive our worship, for Jesus sake. Amen Benediction: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.