Raw Prayers: Praying Through Our FearsPrimjer

PRAYING THROUGH FEAR WITH ASSURANCE

David doesn’t mention this specifically in Psalm 34, but the heading indicates this psalm celebrated God’s deliverance of David from Abimelech (another name for Achish of Gath) in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. God led David to use his wits to escape his enemies by feigning insanity, and David gives God all the credit for this. We, too, should remember to credit God with His deliverance, even if it seems to come from our own effort.

As we read through Psalm 34, we see the assurance of God’s protection and deliverance at every turn. Charles Spurgeon writes, “It is well to mark our mercies with well-carved memorials,” and David remembers God’s goodness with unbridled joy. Verses 1-3 are filled with general praise, while verses 4-7 offer both personal and corporate examples of God as our deliverer. In verses 8-11, David again details the blessings of God’s provision and protection, and the wisdom of verses 11-14 reminds us that following God is always worth it. From verses 15-21, we again see specific remembrances of ways God delivers and saves His people, but we see the ultimate deliverance and redemption in verse 22 with an eternal perspective of God’s final salvation of His children from sin and condemnation. God may not deliver us immediately in a physical sense, as the lives of the martyrs prove, but He will always redeem His children with life forever with Him.

Ask Yourself:

-How does the assurance that God is my eternal deliverer help me deal with my daily fears?

-We have looked at both Psalms of lament where David cries out to God amid his fears, and Psalms of deliverance, where he praises God on the other side of his fears. How can each of these help us find confidence in God when we are afraid?

Pause to pray through your fears: Pray Psalm 34:1-4 to God as praise for His goodness in your life, and then praise Him for specific ways He’s rescued or delivered you.

Take a Next Step: Add to your list of ways God has delivered you personally. And don’t forget to add Philippians 4:6-7 and Isaiah 41:10 to your list of promises.