May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! May He send you help from the sanctuary And support you from Zion! May He remember all your meal offerings And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah. May He grant you your heart's desire And fulfill all your counsel! Psalms 20:1-4
Few understand the difference between saying a prayer and praying to God. Saying a prayer to God may take little effort on our part. Breathing a silent request, giving thanks for a blessing or asking for His blessing on a meeting or our food does not take a time of preparation. However, if we are serious about entering into a conversation with God there must be time to prepare ourselves to enter His presence.
Proper prayer preparation recognizes:
- • Who we are speaking to…v.1
- • Why we are speaking to Him…v.2
- • What it is He can do for us…v.3
- • How we should approach Him…v.4
The Lord is my light and my salvation...the defense of my life v.1
Confidence in prayer is directly affected by our vision of God. The beginning of prayer needs to bring a focus of who God is and especially who He is in relation to His child. David begins his prayer stating his theology. His confession strengthens his stance before God and raises his hope in recounting who God is.
Look at the words David uses...v.1 – light- salvation. The “light” must be present for “salvation” to occur. Possibly you have heard people speak of their salvation experience by saying “I Saw the Light.” This description of salvation describes the revelation of God in the life of a person which leads to saving faith. “Light” shows:
- • sin as it really is,
- • self as we really are
- • enemy as he truly is (weak) and
- • God as our only supply.
More often than not, when we fear the unknown, God does not show us the future but His presence in it. He IS LIGHT and STRENGTH. There are those whose focus on themselves and the problem causes them to “feel a thousand deaths in fearing one.” There are some to whom nothing has to happen to be defeated for just the “possibility” of trouble creates the experience of trouble.
David shows us the way to preparing to pray. Focus on God and see Him in His power. Get a realistic perspective on yourself and your enemy as you bow in prayer. We’ve only just begun!
Scripture to Claim:
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Psalms 20:6
