Prayer to rise above depression
The Psalms seem to offer a prayer for every type of experience.
Even when we encounter depression, loneliness, or anxiety God provides a prayer for that. Psalm 42 and 43 teach us what to pray when we experience depression.
Let us learn to use this prayer and then reuse this prayer to guide our thoughts every time our feelings start to overwhelm us.
Psalms 42 and 43 go well together, and were probably at one time, united as one prayer. The Psalms teach us how to pray, but when we suffer they also teach us how to think.
This prayer repeats the same refrain three times: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Ps 42:5, 11; 43:5). And each chorus follows the same pattern: examination, edification, and expectation.
A prayer of contentment
Where do you find personal contentment? How do you satisfy your soul?
Some gurus on the internet claim that embracing stoicism brings peace. Some Christian mystics suggest poverty provides happiness. Modern influencers point to the comforts of exercise or exotic vacations.
But lasting peace is not found in the perfect body or the perfect place. The Psalms teach me that only God gives permanent peace.
I hope that as you pray Psalm 16 with me this week, you take a huge step forward toward your own peace of mind and soul satisfaction.
Psalm 16:1-4 immediately reminds me that God creates all the good things I desire and warns me about the empty promises of lesser gods.
Spend a week with this prayer
Dale McCamish - Contributing columnist
As I take another day to pray with the Church, my calendar brought me to Psalm 11 another Hebrew prayer poem full of encouragement.
For me, I needed to clarify one word to help make this prayer my own.
You may want to read Psalm 11 before you continue this article and start meditating on this prayer for yourself. I hope by praying this Psalm you find encouragement and maybe even some new healthy habits to establish in your own life.
The heart of this prayer (Psalm 11:4 NIV) reveals God still resides on His throne. Even when I undergo stress, Psalm 11 calms me, letting me know God has not gone anywhere.
God’s beautiful invitation to us all
Dale McCamish - Contributing columnist
I often say a prayer of adoration, confession, asking, and thanksgiving using the words of Psalms. This type of prayer helps me understand God more intimately, and over time has changed my character.
While practicing this prayer pattern recently, I realized I didn’t understand the heart of Psalm 87, verse four, enough to use it as a prayer. I was reminded of God’s beautiful invitation when I came to an understanding of Psalm 87:4.
Verse four reads like this: “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”
Prayers for our nation
News Journal
Rev. Tom Stephenson with the First Christian Church of Wilmington, left foreground, prays for elected officials in the United States, including those in the local, state and federal levels. In the background from left are Wilmington Faith Lutheran Church Pastor Joel Richter, Dave Hinman with Dove Church in Wilmington, and Lee Sandlin with Sugartree Ministries, located in Wilmington.
Gary Huffenberger | News Journal
Outside the Clinton County Courthouse, approximately 50 people took part Thursday in the annual National Day of Prayer. The theme was “Love, life, and liberty”. Eight local faith leaders prayed, six focusing on a different set of people, one on the activity of work and business, and one petitioner praying for the nation to unite. For more photos, visit wnewsj.com .