Psalm 83

Why do people pray?

And why don't people pray?

There are usually three motives for people to pray:

+ duty -- "I ought to / need to"

+ desperation -- "I have nowhere else to turn"

+ and belief

Belief is the one I want to focus on. Faith, if you want to call it that. Confidence, though, is probably a better word.

Some people pray because they honestly believe that God can and will and wants to change their circumstances. Other people don't pray because in spite of believe "in" God, that don't really believe "that" God. Deep down, in spite of what they verbally profess, they don't really believe "that God" hears, "that God" answers, "that God" intervenes.

They believe God cares, but he's ultimately like the watchmaker who created the watch (created the world), wound it up, and set it running, but since then doesn't really interfere with it's day to day operations. He can. He has in the past. But for the most part, he just lets the watch run ... so why pray?

I bring that up because that's the exact opposite of what is happening in this Psalm ...

+ The Psalmist knows that God acts. He's seen the enemies thwarted in ages past.

+ Now they rise up again ("3 They devise crafty schemes against your people. 5 They signed a treaty as allies against you.")

+ God is present and active and able to help ("9 Do to them as you did to the Midianites.")

+ But for some reason, God appears to be "1 sit[ting] idly by." Why?

It's that why that stalls even more prayers. God is able to help, so why not now? Why not me?

And there comes the need for faith again. Faith 101 is that God is. Faith 201 is that God is active and able. Faith 301 -- actually, faith in terms of graduate level studies -- is trusting in an active, able God, even when you can't understand the way he answers (or doesn't answer) prayer.

And so we turn to Faith 401. Prayer -- especially as it nears graduation -- is a multi-discipline course. It needs to be combined with history classes. History reveals that God has been faithful in the past. Prayer, therefore, believes that God IS being faithful in the present ... even when we don't see it.

Prayer also believes that it's okay to keep pestering God about our needs ... and reminding him of his faithfulness.

Prayer is persistence.

It is trusting so much that God is able and active that you're not going to stop until you see him act!

"1 O God ...

2 Don't you hear [my] tumult ...?"

Help me.

Heal me.

Guide me.

Set me free.

You know my deepest pray.

Act.

Today.

Let me see your glory.