Apr 9, 2014
A Worship Song for Those with Unanswered Prayer
Unanswered Prayer
Last week I wrote a blog post in which I shared promises that strengthen my faith when I have unanswered prayer.
So today, I thought I would follow-up by sharing a worship song by Shane and Shane based on Psalm 13.
Two Dangers
When we pray about something important to us, without receiving an answer from God, we face two dangers.
One is that we turn to God with a bitter heart. In this case, it’s good that we are turning to God and praying.
But our bitterness shows that we are no longer trusting God’s wisdom, goodness, and power. Instead, we are believing that we know what’s best better than God, and in our hearts we are accusing God of being unloving.
The other danger is that we turn from God with a discouraged heart.
This turning from God shows that we no longer trust that the nearness of God is our all-satisfying good (Psalm 73: 28).
And our discouragement shows that we no longer believe God’s promise regarding persevering in prayer (like Luke 11:8).
David’s Example
In Psalm 13 David avoids both of these dangers.
He starts by humbly and honestly telling God how much he is struggling with God’s delays –
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? (Psalm 13:1-2)
Then he asks God to light up his eyes – which I think means to strengthen his faith so he once again sees and feels God’s beauty, majesty, love, and wisdom –
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. (Psalm 13: 3 – 4)
He ends by affirming that he is trusting God’s steadfast love. He knows that as a result his heart will rejoice in God’s salvation, and he will end up singing over God’s bounty to him –
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13: 5 – 6)
Ask God to Help You
If you have been struggling to trust God with unanswered prayer, ask him to help you.
Turn it to him, relying on Christ’s shed blood and perfect righteousness to give you a loving welcome at the throne of grace.
Confess any unbelief that’s in your heart, and ask him to strengthen your faith.
Then pray and ponder and meditate on the words of this worship song.
(The video makes some mistakes on the lyrics; I’ve included the correctly lyrics below.)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P87pOV-tdq0
How long oh Lord will You forget me
how long oh Lord will You hide
hide Your face from me
how long must i wrestle with me
and everyday have sorrow in my heart
sorrow in my heart
i will wait on You
i will wait on You
i will wait on You
look on me Lord and answer me
give my eyes light or i will sleep in death
i will sleep in death
my enemies say “i will overcome him”
and my foes rejoice even when i fall
i dont want to fall
for i will trust in Your unfailing love
my heart rejoices in Your salvation
i will sing to the Lord
Questions? Comments?
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And here are some related posts you might find helpful –
- Promises for Those with Unanswered Prayer
- The Benefits of Asking God to Hurry
- How to Pray when You Know Your Wants, but Don’t Know God’s Will
- Worship God with Lament (and a worship video to help)
Steve:
This couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. I had read your blog on The Benefits of Asking God to Hurry and have been asking the Lord to hurry and bring my family to repentance and for them to know Jesus. But recently I have felt rebellious because I didn’t think he was going fast enough, so I will continue to pray for the Lord to hurry but I also will remember to wait upon him. Of course, the Lord had to deal with my rebelliousness- which wasn’t fun- but whom the Lord loves he disciplines. And yesterday I was reading Psalm 118 and came across vs. 18-21 “The LORD has disciplined me severely, But He has not given me over to death.Open to me the gates of righteousness ; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD ; The righteous will enter through it.I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation. So, today’s blog in conjunction with everything else the Lord has been doing couldn’t have been more perfect in the timing. Thanks for faithfully writing your insights in your blog.
Ron:
You are so welcome!
I love hearing your passion for God, brother.
Reading your comments is always encouraging to me.
In Christ,
Steve
I felt this needed to be posted. I heard a pastor say “God does not need our help”. How true. I’ve pondered this for months. How bold we can all become by comparing ourselves to others – then take on the ‘responsability” of taking “over” for God/Jesus.
I hope others see we are to be servents of God…yet allow ourselves “off the hook” When wondering if we are “helping God enough”.
My continued prayers are with you!
Cindy
Hello Cindy,
First – ” I felt this needed to be posted” – I assume you mean your comment, not the Blog entry that Steve Fuller put out.
I don’t see your comment’s connect with the blog post above.
Maybe you’re just commenting.