FEELINGS OR FAITH

If you are anything like me, there are times when you feel as if your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. We wonder, is God really hearing me? Is He ever going to answer me? When this happens, what do we do? Do we end up praying less, or even ceasing altogether? Or do we press on, going by faith rather than feeling? And do we tell the Lord how we are really feeling?

Recently, I've been reading through Psalms. I was struck by how very open and honest David was with the Lord about how he was feeling. Psalm 13:1-2 says, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?" David was a man who could openly and honestly communicate with the Lord how he was feeling. Many of his Psalms begin with an earnest, oftentimes desperate, plea for help. David would then pour out his heart and lay out his requests before God, and most times, by the end of the Psalm, his whole outlook changed. Psalm 13 ends, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me." (vs. 5 & 6)

We see a similar pattern in Psalm 28. Verses 1 & 2 say: "To you I call, O Lord my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help." Then verses 6 & 7, "Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." David was already thanking the Lord for hearing and trusting Him to help.

Psalm 55:1-2, "Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught." After pouring out his heart to the Lord, David says in verses 16-18, "But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." And verse 22, "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."

I think we can all learn a lesson from David who was, after all, a man after God's own heart. May we seek the Lord earnestly, being totally honest with Him (He already knows our feelings anyway), and then, by faith, expectantly wait for Him to answer. Psalm 5:3 says, "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

Allow the truths of Scripture to re-affirm and strengthen your faith. "Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call to Him." (Psalm 4:3) "When you feel as though your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, remember that as a believer you have been set apart by God and that He loves you. He hears and answers, although His answers may not be what you expect. Look at your problems in the light of God's power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems." 1

Stacey Poplawski
WOC Graduate

1 Life Application Bible - NIV by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (c)1991
DIGGING DEEPER

James 1:9
Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,