Psalm 67:1

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

Do you struggle with praying?

Prayer has always been difficult for me. I may lack discipline, direction, or faith. The right words to express my needs, wants, or emotions never seem to settle in my mind. Then, there is the theology of it all. The preacher’s fear of “not praying right” grabs me and throws me to the ground. I oftentimes find my first reaction to prayer simply is not to bother with it at all, all the while knowing prayer is good and would help my mind, body, and soul. I also know prayer would unleash blessings unsearchable and still, I struggle. Yet I have found great help in God’s Word with my struggle. I have found simple prayers that I understand and know are right because they are in God’s Word. One such prayer is in Psalm 67. I invite you to learn this Psalm with me and pray it today.

Psalm 67 is a Scripture, Prayer, and Song package packed into 7 mind-boggling and soul-reviving verses. The contents of this Psalm have helped me greatly in my prayer life recently. Let’s look at the content bit by bit, beginning with the threefold prayer request of verse 1.

Request 1:

Mercy- Forgive us not by our own merit, but by your loving-kindness. The first happy plea in this prayer is one of trust and confidence in God. The road to Christian desire and joy is rooted in the mercy of God. Mercy is resting in the Person of God for forgiveness and grace. It is laying aside ego and pride, confessing sin to God, and going forward with a life of service founded upon God alone. Let us ask for the mercy of God today for it endures forever.