READ: Psalms 85-87
Psalm
85 is a beautiful prayer both for the nation of Israel and our nation today.
The prayer begins with acknowledgement of all God has done for His people:
showed them favour and poured out forgiveness in abundance over them. Then it
becomes a prayer of confession and calling out to God for restoration. They
recognize their loss and distance from God. They feel His displeasure and want
to feel His love again. They are ready to obey again. Verses 10-11 remind us
how amazing it feels to be in right relationship with God again.
This
psalm is also a great prayer for us today as we pray for the nation God has
placed us in. We cry out with the psalmist for forgiveness for the sins our
nation has committed in the past and still does today. Along with verse 7 we
pray asking God to pour out His love and salvation over our nation. As He
people we commit ourselves to Him to achieve His purposes within our country.
God is calling us (vs. 13) to return to righteousness. Our prayer for both
Israel and our own country is verse 12: Lord, please give us what is good so
our land will again yield a spiritual harvest!
Psalm
86 could be a personal life prayer for just about anyone, not just the
psalmist. “Hear, O Lord, and answer me.”
How many times do we cry out wondering if God will just hear and not answer,
just like the psalmist? We know the psalmist is devoted and has committed His
life – not just the good times or just the bad times. The psalmist, like us, cries out for mercy.
However, in verse 4 he asks for joy. The forgiveness is good, but the psalmist
wants to move past the heaviness, past the hard stuff into joy. Verses 8-10 are full of worship, reminders of
the greatness of God. And after all this, our devoted psalmist still and again
submits himself to the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit. He humbles
himself by asking the Lord to teach him and give him an even more undivided
heart. So many times when we are doing well, just like the psalmist has been, there
is still more of our hearts we can give over to God. There is always more we
can learn of God and His ways.
Verse
17 of Psalm 86 the psalmist asks for a sign. At the beginning of the chapter he
was asking God to hear and answer him. Now he is asking for
a sign so that others would know God had been with him, and to reassure
himself. Often we think Bible characters never doubted, and all their communication
with God must have been crystal clear. This verse is such a relief! A great
reminder that even the writers of Scripture needed to ask for a sign.
JOURNALING AND
PRAYER
1. The Bible
specifically instructs us to bless Israel and to pray for peace in Israel (Gen.
12:3, Psalm 122: 6-9). Take a few minutes to pray through this Psalm as a
blessing and prayer for the nation of Israel and God’s chosen people. Listen
carefully to the Holy Spirit and pray additional blessing and prayers as He
leads.
2. Use this Psalm 86
to pray for our country. Take time to confess any sin the Holy Spirit brings to
mind that you can confess on behalf of our nation, things we have done in the
past or are doing now. Ask God for a heart that burns for revival in this
nation. Ask God for a spiritual harvest again in our country.
3. Ask the Lord what
you need from Him. Is it joy? Is it forgiveness? Is it teaching? Is it a sign?
Spend time in God’s presence listening for His words, a picture, thoughts, or
whatever He wants to tell you or show you to meet your deepest need today.
Write out what He says in your journal.
