Today's Verse: Psalm 4:1

Thursday, April 1, 2004

Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
— Psalm 4:1
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Thoughts on Today's Verse...

At first, this cry for help seems very demanding of us on God. Closer inspection shows that this is really a cry of desperation. Have you been there? I surely have, and I regularly hear from folks who are there now. But, dear friend in Jesus, read how this Psalm ends! What is the secret to surviving a long agony? I believe three things are important:
  1. Honesty in our prayer life with God.
  2. Confidence that God hears and cares even when our prayers sizzle with pain and frustration.
  3. Genuine praise for God that is included in our prayers even when things seem bleak and God feels distant.
Such an approach to prayer is not a magical formula but a Spirit-inspired one - check it out in Psalm 4!

My Prayer...

O God, please hear my cry for relief and the relief of those I love who are in agony from their burdens and suffering. Please answer in amazing and miraculous ways so that we may not only be relieved, but you may be glorified by those who see you working in the lives of ordinary but desperate people. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

2 Related Resources by Heartlight

Hear My Prayer
Illustration of Psalm 4:1
Inspirational illustration of Psalm 4:1 -- Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
Calm Down
Article by Alan Smith
Feeling a little stressed? Try this... Sometimes we need a little admonition to calm our souls, even if it is self-administered.

Illustration

Illustration of Psalm 4:1 — Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, April 1, 2004

God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'Confirmation' (1 Jn. 5:6)
"And Jesus Christ was revealed as God's Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross — not by water only, but by water and blood. And..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Isaiah 32:18
"Peace and rest belong not to the unregenerate, they are the peculiar possession of the Lord's people, and of them only. The God of Peace gives perfect..."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Glory!'
"Dear Child of God, Glory? Glorious? "Gloria in Excelsis Deo"? It was not too glorious if you look at the place where My birth happened! I was placed..."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'God Laughs at the Plots Against Him' (Ps. 2:2-4)
"The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. "Let us break their chains," they....."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

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