WORD-SHAPED PRAYER- Psalm 119:121-128

This psalm focuses on several prayers to God. These prayers range from dealing with oppression and wicked people, to prayers for salvation and deliverance. They address God’s dealings with the psalmist, as well as prayers for God’s intervention.

Prayer is an important part of the believer’s life, and one that is often laid aside. It is like a soldier on the battle field. He has a phone that can connect him to air support. This air support has an expansive visual of the battlefield. Without coming into enemy fire, this air support can survey the field, the enemies, as well as the soldiers platoon. In addition, the air support can provide cover fire, bombs, and other attacks on the enemy.

The soldier would be foolish to lay aside to the phone and attempt to engage the enemy on his own. His sergeant might have him committed for mental evaluation. No soldier in their right mind would ever lay aside such a helpful and potentially life-saving tool.

Yet, as believers, we often lay aside the phone of prayer. As opposed to a finite human being, we have direct communication with the sovereign Lord of the universe. As opposed to limited sight, our God sees all, past, present, and future before Him continuously. As opposed to the limited firepower of the soldier’s air support, our God is called the Almighty God. The question remains, “Why do believers so often lay aside the privilege and power of prayer?” Or, to put it more personally, “Why do I so often leave prayer to the side?”

We know from the Scriptures that we are engaged in war, spiritual war. Paul speaks about the necessity to put on the armor of God for the battle in Ephesians chapter six, verses 10-20. Not only are we engaged in battle with the spiritual forces of wickedness, we also are at war with the desires of our flesh (see Gal. 5:16-21).