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.
Now you can listen to Today's Verse on iTunes, Spotify, Echo devices, and more!

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

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

A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
"Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
"We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments."
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
"[Jesus:] "I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with..."
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
"Dear Father, Keep all your preachers from using words of flattery, any cloak of greed, or from seeking glory for themselves, even though they have..."

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.