Therapeutic Prayer

There have been times in my prayer life that as I heard my prayer out loud, I saw and felt it quite differently. I pray mostly with unspoken words. I do believe that prayer feels different when spoken aloud. I will often pray aloud when I’m alone with the Lord.

In Job’s first response to one of his friends he speaks about his situation and I think he’s addressing the Lord directly. Woven throughout this story is the depth of the Lord’s relationship with Job. Check this out…

7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;

    my eyes will never see happiness again.

8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;

    you will look for me, but I will be no more.

9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone,

    so one who goes down to the grave does not return.

10 He will never come to his house again;

    his place will know him no more.

11 ‘Therefore I will not keep silent;

    I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit,

    I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

17 ‘What is mankind that you make so much of them,

    that you give them so much attention,

18 that you examine them every morning

    and test them every moment? (Job 7:7-11; 17-19 NIV)

I can feel the angst in Job’s spirit as these words flow off the page. I can feel his sense of loss and trying to understand why he’s in this situation. In the midst of crisis, I found great peace and comfort in prayer. I can be clueless as to what the next move should be, but I’m determined to be led by the Lord whatever that move may be.

I also find great comfort from the Word of God. As I journey through Job, I realize that my sufferings and struggles feel quite small. This man Job was really “put through the ringer”. His question about mankind was also very revealing of his relationship with the Lord. It was a daily examination of his heart and he walked with the Lord each moment. Job is an example of tight fellowship with the Lord.

I would be wise to view today as an integral part of my journey with the Lord. If there are not big events, I will simply walk with Him and be thankful for this day. I will welcome Him to examine my heart as I walk through this day.

Pressing On!

Dwayne