The Greatest Single-Living Skill

One of the hardest things to do in grief is to pray.

There are times it just doesn't happen!

I think God understands. He knows sorrow's affect upon us: mind-numbing, depressing, anxious . . . We can't find the words . . .

I think that's one reason Psalms are in the Bible--150 of them! When we can't come up with the words, God provides them for us. There are Psalms for every occasion: growth, fear, joy, praise, depression, loneliness, Bible study, worship, quietness, repentence, forgiveness and many more--even complaining!

Every once-in-a-while we'll use Tuesday Single-Living Skills for the greatest single-living skill of all--prayer! And we'll learn to pray from the book of Psalms.

Please join me in praying based on Psalm 30:1-5. This is from the NIV with my paraphrasing mixed in.

I will exalt you, O Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths, and you'll continue to lift me because I'm not quite out of them yet.
and did not let my enemies --despair, pain, abandonment--
gloat over me. Sure, they got me some days, but not forever. Not long enough for them to "gloat." You rescued me, Lord.
O Lord my God, I called to You for help and You healed me --and You will continue to heal me.
O Lord-- I don't know how you did it, but you did--
you brought me up from the grave-- I made it through the funeral. 
You spared me from going down into the pit-- Wow, Lord, there are so many kinds of pits I could fall into. Not only depression, but anger, selfishness, greed, temptation and so many more. Please keep me safe from sin.
Sing to the Lord, you saints of His;
praise His holy name. O Lord, I can't sing yet. I choke up everytime they sing in church. Please heal me and let me sing again someday. Until then, like the one who wrote this psalm, I call to your church, your saints, to "Sing to the Lord and praise Your holy name."
For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Lord, it's night in my life right now. Will I really rejoice someday in the morning? I count on Your word as a promise. Your mercy, forgiveness and favor never fail, even though I weep. May the morning come soon. Amen.