Another Kind of Prayer
Sometimes we pray quietly, even silently, with our eyes closed in sincere and reverent prayer.
Sometimes we pray the prayers we always pray before meal time and bedtime.
Sometimes we pray the Lord’s prayer or other prayers we’ve learned to pray that make us feel close to God.
And all those prayers are good, right, and appropriate.
But there is another kind of prayer that also has power.
Psalm 86.7 says,
In the day of my trouble I will CALL UPON You,
for You will answer me.
In the Bible, there is a distinction between “prayer” and “crying out to God.” I have a little book in my office that’s called “The Power of Crying Out” by Bill Gothard. In it, he shares this important observation:
“Incredible as it seems, the Creator of the universe desires an intimate, loving fellowship with the people He created. A vital component of that fellowship is the actual voicing aloud to Him our need for Him – particularly in times of great trouble.” – Bill Gothard
There is a lot going on in our world right now. There is a lot of evil. We live in a broken, fallen, and sinful world. Our calling as a Kingdom community is to proclaim and demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus and announce His light in this dark world.
There is evil in this world.
But here’s what I want you to know. There is HOPE.
God is not absent. God is near the broken-hearted.
And when we cry out, God comes near.
Qara
Throughout the psalms, there is a word that is used on repeat. It’s one word in the Hebrew language: qara. In English, it takes at least two words to catch the meaning. It’s a word used frequently to talk about prayer.
Not the silent prayer we pray with our heads bowed low. Not the bedtime prayer we learned when we were little, or the prayer we pray as quickly as we can before we eat our dinner. It’s not the sweet prayer offered during church or the prayer of thanksgiving we say when we count our blessings.
In the psalms, the word qara means to cry out. To call out to God out loud. It’s used over 700 times in the OT, about 60 times in the Psalms. Over 30 times, the word qara is a direct reference to crying out to God in prayer.
This is the prayer of the person who can no longer remain silent, who cannot pray with a timid voice. This is the prayer of the person who needs God to hear them, who is begging God to act, who can’t help but cry out because their need is so desperate and their situation is so dire.
What we learn by reading the prayers found in the psalms is that there is power in crying out to God. There is power in praying with voices raised, calling out to the only God who is mighty to save. When we cry out, He listens. When we call on His name, He hears.
You can see this in so many psalms, but today, I want to invite you to turn to Psalm 86.
Psalm 86 is a Psalm of lament. The gift of biblical lament is that God himself is providing us with language to express our anger, our fears, and our disappointments — and to do so FAITHFULLY.
This is a prayer of David, and David knew something about prayer. He knew about walking with God by quiet streams and making his way through the valley of the shadow of death. He knew something about praising God on the mountain top and crying out to God after being convicted of his sin and his shame. He also knew something about crying out to God when someone he loved was killed. David knew something about prayer.
Psalm 86
A prayer of David.
1 Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;
answer me, for I need your help.
2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you.
Save me, for I serve you and trust you.
You are my God.
David has a rich prayer life. If you read his story, you’ll quickly discover that he was far from perfect. To say he made a few mistakes along the way is putting it lightly. But David… and this is what we love about David, David always came home to God. David always made a turn and returned to God.
When David begins this prayer, he asks God to bend down. To listen. To come near. David knew something that we sometimes forget. We have a God who stoops. He is not far off. He’s not too busy for us. When we need help, He comes near. When we pray, He hears.
When David prays, he talks to God like a father. He asks God for protection and salvation. The same David who defeated the lion, the bear, and the giant named Goliath, is facing something in his life that he can’t overcome on his own. So he cries out to God for protection and salvation. He declares that all his trust is in God alone.
And then he prays…
3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,
for I am calling on you constantly.
4 Give me happiness, O Lord,
for I give myself to you.
5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
This is a prayer found throughout the pages of Scripture, this prayer for mercy. Sometimes it’s a prayer for healing. Always it’s a prayer for help in a time of need. David prays for mercy constantly. This was his breath prayer! The prayer always on his lips. “Lord, have mercy.”
David discovered that when you give yourself to God, you find that He is ALWAYS ready to FORGIVE. David had experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness in his own life. His unfailing love. God gives His unfailing love to all who ask.
Some people say the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament. That the God of the Old Testament is angry, vengeful, and full of wrath, while the God of the New Testament is full of mercy and love. Not for David! And you can see it here. David testifies, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God has always been and will always be full of forgiveness and unfailing love.
David continues in prayer, and he says…
6 Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;
hear my urgent cry.
7 I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,
and you will answer me.
Right there, David uses the word qara. This prayer isn’t a prayer he’s praying quietly before bed; it’s not the prayer he offers up before eating his dinner at the table. This is David crying out to God!
Lord, Listen!
Hear my urgent CRY!
I’m calling out to You!
I’m in trouble!
Hear me!
Answer me!
Come near!
Come now!
Help!
Have you ever cried out to God?
There is a difference between a quiet request and crying out!
Between prayer and qara.
I’ll never forget standing all alone in a bathroom stall on the bottom floor of a hospital, crying out to God for someone I loved who, at the moment, I wasn’t sure if they were going to live or die.
I’ll never forget hitting my knees in the basement, begging God to help someone I loved who needed God’s help in a big-time way.
I’ll never forget crying out to God with friends who had just lost a child, and they didn’t know what to do; they were angry, they were sad, they were overwhelmed.
I’ll never forget praising God at the top of my lungs for the birth of my children, for the days we experienced God’s grace, provision, and blessings in amazing ways.
And my guess is you’ve had days like that, too.
Maybe, some of you are crying out to God today because…
Because you’re hurting. Did you know that when you’re hurting, you can cry out to God? For some of you, that pain is physical, for others it’s emotional, for some it’s mental, and for still others it’s relational. However you’re hurting, you can cry out to God in your pain and you can believe…
When you cry out to God in trouble,
He you will answer you. (Psalm 86.7)
Maybe, some of you are crying out to God today because…
Because you’re in need. Like a child crying out to their father because they need help, they need their father to do what only he can do, you’re crying out to God today in need. And here’s the Good News: when you cry out to God, He’s listening, He hears, and He cares!
When you cry out to God in trouble,
He you will answer you.
Maybe, some of you are crying out to God today because…
Because you’ve been blessed! You’ve got a reason to sing! To praise! You cried out to God in your trouble, in your despair, and He answered you! Now you’ve got a story to tell, a testimony to share. God has been good to you. God has come through for you! Let me encourage you, cry out to God in praise!
When you cry out to God in trouble,
He you will answer you.
Maybe, some of you are crying out to God today because…
Because you’re angry. You’re angry at the world, you’re angry about current events, you’re angry. You’re wondering if God hears, you’re wondering if God is near. If that’s you, can I encourage you to keep crying out to God? He’s big enough to handle your complaints, your questions, your doubts, and fears. Just ask David. More than once he prayed, “How long, O Lord!?” Here’s the promise,
When you cry out to God in trouble,
He you will answer you.
Worn
A few years ago, a group by the name of Tenth Avenue North released a song entitled: Worn. The lyrics go like this…
I’m tired
I’m worn
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes to keep on breathing
I’ve made mistakes
I’ve let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed
By the weight of this world
And I know that You can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left
Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends
That You can mend a heart that’s frail and torn
I want to know a song can rise
From the ashes of a broken life
And all that’s dead inside can be reborn
‘Cause I’m worn
Maybe today you, too, feel WORN.
Tired.
Maybe your heart feels heavy. Maybe your soul feels crushed. If that’s you, let me encourage you to cry out with all that you have left to God because He cares for you.
When you cry out, God comes near.
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