I’m writing this post during Holy Week, one of the most important times of the year for most Christians. Soon we will reflect upon the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, celebrating the fact that He paid our sin debt. Because of His sacrifice, those who believe in Him have peace with God and those who believe in His name have been given the power to become children of God (John 1:12). But do you always feel like one of His children or are there times when you feel distanced from the Father: times when you wonder if He really cares? Are there times when you feel like He may have forgotten you? Are there times when you prayed a Psalm 88 prayer?
No, things are not going well
When I read Psalm 88, I see something
that is very different from most of the other Psalms and very different from
the advice often given by the church. This Psalm starts of like the others,
with the writer crying out to God because things aren’t going very well. But in
the other Psalms the writer eventually musters up a bunch of faith and ends by
looking forward to the great things God will do. Whatever the need, even if it’s
a need for vengeance upon those who have done wrong, the writers of the Psalms
seem to always come back to some variation of “I trust in God.” But not Psalm
88.
Psalm 88 begins by asking God to
listen, followed by a description of how the writer’s, “…soul is full of troubles.”
The writer describes feeling, “Like the slain who lie in the grave,” and like
one who God, “…remember(s) no more…” The Psalmist speaks of being in darkness
and of how he feels like he is under God’s wrath. He talks about crying out to
the Lord but feeling as if the Lord has cast off his soul. Psalm 88 paints a
picture of personal suffering and then…? And then the Psalm comes to an end.
There is no, “God’s got this,” nor
is there a declaration that the Psalmist will wait upon the Lord. Psalm 88 ends,
leaving the reader wondering where the Psalmist’s faith is at this point. Does
he make the seemingly quick recovery that we so often see in the Psalms and throughout
the entire Bible? He may have but he doesn’t tell us here. Psalm 88 is an
honest expression of how this writer felt at the time. Things were not good,
and it seems as if he didn’t feel like ending on a high note.
So, what is a Psalm 88 prayer?
A Psalm 88 prayer is an honest
prayer. It is a time of pouring out exactly what is on our hearts, even if we
are struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a prayer that is
covered in tears, driven by a feeling that all is not well and by a feeling
that God is not close by. The fact that this type of prayer is in the Bible and
inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) gives permission for us to pray this kind of
honest prayer, following the example set by the Psalmist during a time of
suffering.
Do you pray these kinds of honest
prayers? I know I have all to often tried to clean up my prayers, praying what
I thought God (and/or my church brethren) wanted to hear. But doing so is telling
God a lie, something I’m no longer comfortable with. I want to be honest with
God, just like Psalm 88 is honest. How about you? Is your relationship with God
one where you pray a Psalm 88 prayer when needed?
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