To Be A Man Of Prayer (Psalm 109)

Reading even the first few verses of Psalm 109 is terribly troubling for me for I know that my first response to persecution is not always prayer.

1 O God, whom I praise,
do not remain silent,

2 for wicked and deceitful men
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

3 With words of hatred they surround me;
they attack me without cause.

4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.

Psalm 109:1-4

I was recently reminded through the testimony of Don Piper of the power of prayer even in our generation. Prayer is our lifeline to our amazing supernatural (yet knowable) Heavenly Father.

For those that know Don's story you'll recall the significance of the hymn "What A Friend We Have in Jesus". Well, this hymn has particular significance in my own life in recent days as well.

I had the privilege of leading worship for a large group of missionaries who serve in many countries that are hostile to the gospel. For some reason (a God thing I'm sure) I felt led to teach our worship band a modern version of "What A Friend We Have in Jesus" in preparation for the conference. In terms of style, this song was actually a bit of an odd fit for our group, but as we were there singing it in worship the words flooded over me in a tidal wave of emotion.

Verse 1
What a Friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer
O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer

Verse 2
Have we trials and temptations
Is there trouble anywhere
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share
Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer

Verse 3
Are we weak and heavy laden
Cumbered with a load of care
Precious Savior still our Refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Do thy friends despise forsake thee
Take it to the Lord in prayer
In His arms He'll take and shield thee
Thou wilt find a solace there

Perhaps the emotions were caused by the context in which we were worshiping, but I know that God desires us to live in active dependence on Him through prayer. O that I would always pray with such earnestness.

Today, as an act of worship, trust your every moment to the Lord's capable hands by calling to Him first in prayer.

Do thy friends despise forsake thee
Take it to the Lord in prayer