It matters how we view God when we pray.
If we think he is unhappy with us, we pray tentatively. We may feel he will ignore us because we have sinned or done something wrong.
If we feel loved by the Lord, we will pray with confidence and hope.
The good news of Jesus Christ makes clear that God is loving and merciful, ever ready to forgive us and give us good gifts.
I have come back several times recently to Psalm 68:19 where David writes: "Praise the Lord; praise God our saviour! For each day he carries us in his arms."
What a picture of our loving God! We may feel hopeless and helpless, but God is not letting us go. He is carrying us through our troubles, even though we don't know it.
David responds to this truth with praise. So should every follower of God.
I am struck by how often the psalms speak of God's lovingkindness - a lovingkindness that stretches forever.
One of the greatest expressions of his love for us is in Psalm 103:11,12 where David says:
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west has he removed our transgressions from us."
He goes on to say that the Lord has compassion on us as a father has compassion on his children. He knows we are weak.
David often writes about God being his refuge and fortress in difficult times. He even declares that we are like chicks sheltering under the protective wings of their mother.
God is for us - not against us.
The scriptures say that David was a man after God's own heart. A major reason was that David acknowledged his sins and his weakness before God and humbly depended on the Lord to guide him.
The psalms are really a book of prayers. The writers praise God and express their deepest feelings, opening themselves completely to the Lord. Some of the psalms are vengeful, but so are we on occasion.
God answers our prayers according to his own ways, not ours. We can be confident that his answers are always best for us.
We can count on him to carry us every day.
If we think he is unhappy with us, we pray tentatively. We may feel he will ignore us because we have sinned or done something wrong.
If we feel loved by the Lord, we will pray with confidence and hope.
The good news of Jesus Christ makes clear that God is loving and merciful, ever ready to forgive us and give us good gifts.
I have come back several times recently to Psalm 68:19 where David writes: "Praise the Lord; praise God our saviour! For each day he carries us in his arms."
What a picture of our loving God! We may feel hopeless and helpless, but God is not letting us go. He is carrying us through our troubles, even though we don't know it.
David responds to this truth with praise. So should every follower of God.
I am struck by how often the psalms speak of God's lovingkindness - a lovingkindness that stretches forever.
One of the greatest expressions of his love for us is in Psalm 103:11,12 where David says:
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west has he removed our transgressions from us."
He goes on to say that the Lord has compassion on us as a father has compassion on his children. He knows we are weak.
David often writes about God being his refuge and fortress in difficult times. He even declares that we are like chicks sheltering under the protective wings of their mother.
God is for us - not against us.
The scriptures say that David was a man after God's own heart. A major reason was that David acknowledged his sins and his weakness before God and humbly depended on the Lord to guide him.
The psalms are really a book of prayers. The writers praise God and express their deepest feelings, opening themselves completely to the Lord. Some of the psalms are vengeful, but so are we on occasion.
God answers our prayers according to his own ways, not ours. We can be confident that his answers are always best for us.
We can count on him to carry us every day.
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