Praying with all my heart

I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord! I will obey your decrees. I cry out to you; rescue me, that I may obey your laws. I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise. In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations. Lawless people are coming to attack me; they live far from your instructions. But you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true. I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever. Psalm 119: 145-152 NLT

Prayer is important to the write of Psalm 119. In these verses, he cries out to God with all his heart. He cries out for rescue so that he will be able to obey all of God’s laws. From the moment he awakes, he is petitioning for help. In fact, he is up before the sun in order to place his hope in God’s words and pray for help. He often is up throughout the night, lying in his bed and thinking about all of God’s promises. 

The psalmist is in desperate need for God’s help. He asks that God hear him through the love God has for him. He wants to be revived through God’s word. Others who physically and metaphorically far from God are trying to attack him. But even in his distress, he knows that God is near because God’s commandments and instructions are not far from him and they speak truth to his life. He has known since he was small that God’s laws will last forever.

How important is prayer to your life? Does it keep you up all night? Do you regularly awake before dawn to lift your petitions in prayer? Do you ever pray God’s word? Do you have more hope in prayer or God’s word? 

God, I pray with all my heart. I cry out to you. You are near, God, and your word is true. I give you thanks and praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright Amelia G. Sims 2012