“Biblical prayer is impertinent, persistent, shameless, indecorous. It is more like haggling in an outdoor bazaar than the polite monologues of the church.”

walter wink

Please read the first blog post entitled “Why Fast?” This explains what fasting is and why we follow Jesus in this spiritual discipline as together we seek the heart of God.

Each day during our 21 Days, we will focus on one part of the ACTS prayer acronym – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. We will spend between 3-5 days on each part of the ACTS prayer acronym. Each devotion will take less than ten minutes of your time.

Supplication simply means “a humble request for help or mercy from someone in authority.” In our application, it means a humble request of God.

Supplication

Engage the Word

Read Psalm 143:1-7 A Psalm of David. 

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; 

give ear to my pleas for mercy! 

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! 

2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, 

for no one living is righteous before you. 

3 For the enemy has pursued my soul; 

he has crushed my life to the ground; 

he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. 

4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; 

my heart within me is appalled. 

5 I remember the days of old; 

I meditate on all that you have done; 

I ponder the work of your hands. 

6 I stretch out my hands to you; 

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord! 

My spirit fails! 

In this prayer of supplication, the psalmist again appeals to God to hear his prayer – on the grounds of God’s faithfulness and righteousness. The covenant God made with his people reveals these divine qualities, and they mean that he will always be faithful to follow through with his promise to be God to his people and to protect them from their enemies. It is clear the psalmist is aware and confesses that no one is perfectly righteous (v. 2), but he does believe that he has grounds for saying that he does not deserve the violent treatment of those who are persecuting (pursuing) his soul. He is depressed and anxious, crushed by an incessant enemy – in need of relief, grace, rest, refreshment…

The psalmist looks to the past to find confidence to live in a troubled present and to give birth to hope for the future. After all, considering God’s works in the past (days of old) would bring to mind the numerous times when God saved his helpless people, but certainly none more dramatic than the parting of the Red Sea. Caught in an impossible situation, pressed against the sea by Pharoah’s dominant Egyptian army, God opened up a path for His people to go through the waters – on dry land – to safety. The psalmist, knowing his own inability to save himself, now calls on the God of the exodus to do so. God’s hands have worked wonders, so the psalmist spreads his hands towards heaven in a posture of prayer and appeals to God to intervene. In his desperation, he asks God to respond quickly. This sovereign and powerful God – who never changes – is the same God who is able to intervene in the most desperate of our circumstances today. It is to this God that we bring our supplication and petitions.

Reflect on the Truth

1. Think about what person, group of people or specific present circumstance best represents the word “enemy” in Psalm 143 that seems to be pursuing your soul. Now, read and meditate on Psalm 143 with this “enemy” in mind and with our same all-powerful God in mind.
2. What are some specific ways that you have felt crushed by this enemy that has pursued you? Are these circumstances or is this person too big for a God who has parted the Red Sea?
3. Look at verse 6 again. Take a moment in the quiet of this time to literally and physically stretch out your hands to God. Read through this entire passage now, with your hands outstretched to God. How does this simple physical act make more meaningful these words of petition before God on your behalf?

Depend on the Spirit

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the deeper longings, desires or motives in your heart that those thoughts are pointing to. (For example: you may write down, “I long to walk in your way, O Lord. Show me. Teach me. Guide me. Lead me in your way.”) The Lord can help us discern the path forward – through His word, His Spirit, His people.

For Prayer

Today, pray for all the guests and visitors who will attend an Easter service this weekend – possibly their only worship experience this year – and especially those that don’t have a personal, intimate relationship with Christ. Pray that they will hear the message of the gospel – of Jesus Christ’s resurrection power over sin, shame and death – and respond to Him with their whole heart.

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Content from these devotionals has been adapted from various resources, including The Bible Speaks Today commentary series by John Stott, Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary by Derek Kidner, Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary by Tremper Longman and others.