Psalms DAY 10

DAY 10 - Don’t Give Up

Luke 18:1-8

We need honesty to pray our pain but we also need perseverance. That means we keep carrying this burden to God, over and over again, until there’s breakthrough. Until we can say, “But YOU, God, see our trouble,” we stay on our knees. That surely means lots of private prayer but some praying together with souls who will carry our burden with us. By challenging us to pray our pain until it’s praise, psalms of lament give us gutsy hope.

Jesus teaches us to keep on praying, especially praying what hurts. A poor widow bangs on an unjust judge’s door until she gets justice. He finally gives in just to make her stop. If even a corrupt judge will give justice, how much more will God your Father? Don’t give up until something changes.

If we ever need encouragement to pray our pain until it’s praise, we only need to look at Jesus himself. Even Jesus cried out to God. Just before his betrayal, arrest, and execution, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. Luke says, “He was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” He prayed his pain and kept on praying even on the cross. Gasping for air under the weight of sin, he prayed Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus felt the hell of God-forsaken-ness for you and for me. He prayed through the pain until he could praise again Easter morning. He’s still praying today, interceding for us, until we meet him in glory.

What an example! What a Savior! Hallelujah!

REFLECT
Have you given up praying on something? Will you pray for it again today?

PRAY
I won’t give up, God. I won’t give up praying, I won’t give up asking, I won’t give up. I’ll keep bringing my pain and the world’s hurts to your feet until something changes for the better. God help me. Amen.