“Divine Dialogue” Pt 8
Patterns of Prayer – T.I.M.E.S. with God
I. PERSPECTIVE ON PRAYER -- What is prayer?
II. PURPOSE OF PRAYER – Why Pray?
III. PREREQUISITES FOR PRAYER – Who can pray?
IV. PROMISES REGARDING PRAYER – What does God promise to do?
V. PURPOSES FOR UNANSERED PRAYER – Why doesn’t God answer?
VI. POSTURES IN PRAYER – What should I do with my body?
VII. PASSION OF PRAYER – What priority should I give to prayer?
VIII. PATTERNS OF PRAYER – What should I pray?
The Bible does not prescribe any specific prayer except perhaps the Disciple’s Prayer taught by Jesus might be considered a model prayer to pray. There are numerous examples all through the Bible from short to long prayers. As we mentioned last week, if prayer is dialogue with God, then such conversation is not something you can script. The content of the prayer follows the heart and mind of the individual. Just as a written poem or song may communicate a sentiment of our heart to someone, a “scripted prayer” may serve to better express the depths of our heart. Just as a writing out a well-thought out letter of request to someone best communicates our desires, a written-out prayer may better serve to express our requests to God. At times, we find ourselves at a loss as to what to pray for one another as well as ourselves in accord with God’s will. Taking clues from recorded prayers of God’s servants in the Bible proves an invaluable resource. Last week we explored the pattern given by Jesus to His disciples.
A. The Disciples Model Prayer
This week I offer a pattern I observe in the Bible prayer and song book; the Psalms.
B. T.I.M.E.S. with God
I have suggested this pattern previously but thought it would be good to review it again and take some time to practice it. Years ago, I did an extended study of the Psalms. The Psalms consist of prayer songs used by the Israelites in their worship. These are prayers inspired by the Holy Spirit. These are prayers that address most every subject and emotion. A good number (73 of 150) of the Psalms were written by King David who God Himself identified as a “A man after My heart”. 1 Sam 13:4; Acts 13:22
Given these factors, I decided to look for some sort of common elements that would aid my own personal prayer and worship practice. Many have observed technical patterns in the Psalms such as Lament, Imprecatory (God get ‘em), Messianic, Ascent, Royal, National, Penitential. I focused on common elements in all the Psalms beyond the specific literary forms. I settled on five reoccurring categories that don’t necessarily appear in every Psalm or in any specific order but appear throughout the book of Psalms.
Talk – Invite – Meditate – Embrace -- Submit
To help you remember, it spells out T.I.M.E.S. with God.
TALK (“O God, I…”)
The Psalms express every category of emotion. This category deals with the expression of both negative and positive emotion. Not all emotional expression in the Psalms is negative. Many phrases express extreme joy and wonder. In this phase, we don’t ask God for anything. We honestly share how we feel now. This honesty in prayer clears the way for meaningful interaction with God and generally leads to a perspective change which facilitates an emotional change. God grants the freedom to simply tell Him how we feel as we share our heart.
He knows what we feel anyway. There is no sense trying to mask it or hide it. Since the Holy Spirit sanctioned such expression and superintended its recording, God must be OK with it.
Here are some examples.
Lord, how my foes increase! There are many who attack me.
Many say about me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah Psalm 3:1
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Psalms 13:1-2
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away. Ps 31:9
I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. Psalms 30:1-3
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God… Psalm 42
So many passages express numerous emotions.
Jesus quoted from the Psalms while dying of the cross.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? Psalm 22:1
“Where are you God?” “My enemies surround me?” “My sin overwhelms me.” “My soul is downcast.”
“My soul exalts in You.” “I rejoice in You.”
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. Psalm 4:7
Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!” Psalm 35:27
“I feel…”
Take a moment to honestly express to God how you are feeling today. NO requests. Just express your feelings.
INVITE (Lord hear and heed! May You…”
Once we have express how we feel and “talked” to God about the circumstances that overwhelm us or concern us, we are ready to invite God to hear and heed our pleas for help. The psalmist asks God to intervene both on for them and for those in the godly community as well as retribution on their enemies. You can find a multitude of different kinds of requests. Some of them may be identified by the words, “May You…” The request for God to “hear and heed” appears numerous times.
Here are some examples.
Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD. Psalms 25:2-7
O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain. Through God we shall do valiantly, and it is He who will tread down our adversaries. Psalms 60:11-12
"Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be my helper." Psalms 30:10
Rise up, be our help, and redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness. Psalms 44:26
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! May He send you help from the sanctuary and support you from Zion! May He remember all your meal offerings and find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah. May He grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your counsel! We will sing for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. Psalms 20:1-5
In addition to inviting God to intervene, the Psalmists also often issues an invitation to others to respond to God.
O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful and fully recompenses the proud doer. Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalms 31:23-24
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart. Psalms 32:11
Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Psalm 33:8
Take some time to invite God to intervene. Don’t tell Him anything, He knows what you need. Simply ask Him to intervene concerning your circumstance.
MEDITATE
After a cry for help comes reflection on Who He is, what God has done, what He has promises to do. This exercise strengthens the soul to believe/trust God to do what we have just requested. Is He able and willing to intervene? According to Scripture the resounding answer is, “YES!” Such time of reflection accomplishes several things. It addresses our lack of faith. It renews our faith. The kind of meditation or thinking concerning God takes on several aspects in the Psalms.
1. Reflect on the person and work of God.
• Remember and review what God has done in the past
“You are the God who…”
Remember past works of God recorded in the Bible
Remember past works of God recorded in church history
Remember past works of God in our own personal life
• Reflect on what we see God doing in the present.
• Anticipate what He promises to do in the future.
• Contemplate His attributes and how they relate to my situations
He is infinitely Great
He is infinitely Good
He is infinitely Holy
• Picture some of the Biblical characterizations of God
i.e. Bread of Life, Fortress, shepherd, Rock, water of life
Any meditation and visualization concerning God should ALWAYS be directed by Scripture not our imagination. Scriptures should ignite our imagination. If the “pictures” are from the Bible (Water of life, Shepherd, rock, fortress, foundation of life, throne, train of His robe, smoke filled temple etc.) – go for it.
2. Reflect on basic truths (Perspective adjustment)
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the ungodly… Psalm 1
3. Reflect on our failure to honor him as we should
“I was a beast before you.”
“I didn’t understand what I was saying.”
“Against You only have I sinned.” Psalm 51
“The wicked will not stand in the presence of the Almighty”
This time of mediation may inspire further invitations for God to intervene and invitation for others to respond to God.
EMBRACE (You are…)
By this time, a deep appreciation of who God is and my relationship with Him should overwhelm my spirit to the point I want to embrace Him. I express my deep appreciation of our relationship.
“Lord, you are…” “I love you Lord…”
You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psalms 32:7
I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah. Psalms 143:6
God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. Psa 63:1-2
God, Your way is holy. What god is great like God? You are the God who works wonders; You revealed Your strength among the peoples. With power You redeemed Your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Psalm 77:13-15
"I love You, O LORD, my strength." The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. Psalms 18:1-3
Take some time to embrace our amazing God.
SUBMIT (I will…)
One final element is of vital importance to a fully transforming conversation with God. This is often a missing element in my time with God. After I have expressed my struggles, contemplated His power and my intimate relationship with the God of the universe, I gain a better idea of what I really want in life.
Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday. Psa 37:3-6
If I am trusting the Lord and delighting in Him, the desires of my heart become His desires. He promises to give us Himself. The psalmist bursts out with a bold declaration of their heart’s desire.
“I will not be afraid.”
“I will praise you as long as I live.”
“I will declare your lovingkindness to the next generation.”
I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng. Psalms 35:18
And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness And Your praise all day long. Psalms 35:28
But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, "You are my God." My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me. Psalms 31:14-15
To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. Psalms 25:1
O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Psalms 25:2
I will listen to what God will say; surely the Lord will declare peace to His people, His godly ones, and not let them go back to foolish ways. Psalms 85:8
We have transitioned from expressing our feelings of frustration to expressing the new desires of our heart inspired by our encounter with the God of the universe. This is how we feel. This is what we want at this moment. The reality is, we will not always follow through with this declaration of intent. David declared he would not fear. The reality is, that the Bible records numerous incidents when he did.
What has God stirred in your heart to do as He strengthens and directs you? As you read the Psalms keep a little notebook with these categories and collect phrases that express your sentiment.
• Examples of Talk
• Examples of Invitation
• Examples of Meditation
• Examples of Embrace
• Examples of Submission
