Every year, on the last Sunday of our year, we spend our last time of corporate worship together in Psalm 107. In this Psalm, the psalmist exhorts the people to consider God's steadfast love, and if they have seen it in their lives, then "let the redeemed of the Lord say so." In the midst of the congregation and the elders, it is important for us to declare God's goodness to one another.
Had we known, as a church, what lay ahead of us in 2021 we likely would have been incredulous and fallen into despair before the new year had even begun. But, in hindsight, we see the kind, strong, loving hands and the tender embrace of a Father who walked alongside us through the loss and heartache, guiding us in the fog of a continuing pandemic, cancer and death. His strength was evident in our weakness this past year, and as we reflect on His presence in the midst of it all we are prompted to, as the psalmist encourages us, stop and "say so." God is good, and His mercy endures forever.
While any prayer truly from the heart is a good prayer, accepted and loved by God, there are also “wrong” and “better” ways to pray. Jesus gives us “do’s” and “don’ts” when it comes to praying. The Psalms also serve as a kind of prayer handbook. When we pray the Psalms, we pray from our own hearts to be sure, but we are also joining with our spiritual ancestors in Israel, church history, and using the very language that God Himself gave us and taught us so that we can best enjoy communion with Him. God’s Word is like a javelin, and your heart is the target. Praying the Psalms enlarges the target for God’s Word and God’s desires to permeate your heart.
