Thankfully, we don’t have to figure out on our own how to pray. Psalms 27 shows us how.
In Psalm 27:8, we learn that prayer is the most noble act anyone can perform. David converses with the Lord:
The Lord to David: “Seek my face.”
David to the Lord: My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
Imagine that – our heart and God’s face! Prayer is noble because it involves the depth of who we are – our hearts not just our actions or empty words. And prayer approaches the very face – the smile – of our Father. Have you ever prayed without using many words, but only with a groaning heart? God loves that! Prayer is the greatest thing a human can do because it connects our heart with the face of God.
Next, prayer is made for our dark fears. It seems strange that David would say “do not cast me off, do not forsake me” (v9) right on the heels of his delight with the smile of God’s face. But the more you enjoy your Father’s smile, the more you fear his frown. Our greatest fear is disappointing our loving Heavenly Father. But what do we do when we encounter any fear? We follow David’s example and pray. Do not let your fears silence your prayers. Let your fears enliven them.
Prayer is what you do when you face painful rejection. Psalm 27:10 is one of the most painful yet affectionate statements of the Bible. David laments, “My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.” We don’t know what occasion David is referring to in his life but there is surely nothing more painful than being rejected by your parents. David includes this painful part of his history in his prayer. So should we. “Do your friends despise, forsake you? In his arms he’ll take and shield you. Take it to the Lord in prayer.”
Lastly, prayer is what you do when faced with confusing choices. “Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies” (v11). David’s adversaries complicated his life. Some of David’s own friends and children complicated his life. Even some of his own choices complicated his life. Which road to choose when faced with knotty complexities? “Teach me. Lead me.” Even David the King had to ask God to be his guide. In prayer, we take the role of hiker and ask our Father to be our Guide along the pathway.