“We trust that the Lord is not leading us into wandering for its own sake but is shepherding us into his rest (even if we must go through the desert to get there). . . . Just like a close friendship, things change after strife and reconciliation. We, too, are changed when we are granted the reorienting mercies of God.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe
Kyle Strobel and John Coe conclude Chapter 5 of Where Prayer Becomes Real with a discussion of psalms of reorientation.
3. Psalms of reorientation. In seasons of disorientation, we find it tempting to move on as quickly as possible. However, the authors counsel, that isn’t our call as Christians. Therefore, you shouldn’t as how to get out of your adverse situation. Instead, you should ask the Lord what it means to be faithful here.
Furthermore, Kyle and John encourage us to pray as we enter a new season of joy after a trial has passed. Because many of us pray zealously in a trial. Yet, we stop praying when things get better.
In The Message of the Psalms, Walter Brueggemann writes:
“There is nothing out of bounds in prayer, nothing precluded or inappropriate. Everything properly belongs in the conversation of the heart with God. To withhold parts of life from that conversation is in fact to withhold part of it from the sovereignty of God. Thus, the Psalms make the important connection: everything must be brought to speech, and everything brought to speech must be addressed to God, who is the final reference for all of life.”
In conclusion, these prayers reorient us to the journey of love that the Lord calls us into. Also, these prayers ground us in this truth. The Christian life consists of a never-ending journey. A journey of love. God desires greater things for you than lip service. So, embrace the Psalms as the school of prayer for your soul.
Today’s question: When have you experienced the Lord shepherding you into His rest? Pleas share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A prayer of presenting ourselves to God”
