PRAY: Thank you for your Word, Lord, because it shows me that you love us through joy and through sorrow. May I not shy away from lament.
Tuesday – Day 28
Approaching God – Approach God in silence. The following verse, “I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13:6), can help to center your wandering thoughts so you can be still in God’s presence.
Listening to God – Read Psalm 13 and reflect on a time when the Psalmist’s words were your words. When did you experience the hidden face of the Lord (vv.1-2)? How did this experience make an impact on your faith? How did the Lord reveal his unfailing love (v.5) to you?
Talking to God – After you are done listening, pray that verse back to God. Is there a reason for praise and thanksgiving? Do you need to confess anything? What do you need from God? What do you need to surrender to him? Pray the verse over your three people.
Ministering in God’s Name – In a culture where people talk over, around and past each other, listening to the experiences of another person is one of the most valuable gifts one person can give to another. Introverts are gifted for evangelism because they are natural listeners. Every person’s heart laments an experience(s) of separation, alienation from God. To be a good listener we must develop the habit of asking questions that will help us hear the other person’s lament. Psalm 13 is a prayer for people who lament. And it is also a prayer that directs people to trust in the unfailing love of God (v. 5). Have you listened to and learned the lament of the three people you are praying for? Consider and pray for an opportunity to listen to them and then offer Psalm 13 as a prayer that will help them express their heart to God.
Surrendering to God – In prayer, express your trust in God’s unfailing love for you. And ask the Holy Spirit to open the hearts of your three people to experience the Lord’s unfailing love for them.
By Mike Hoogeboom
