Pray, Trust, Wait on God's Promises

Pray, Trust, Wait in God’s Promises
 
Psalms 120:1 I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. 2 Save me, O LORD from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.
 
THIS is a psalm of ascents. These were sung as the Jews ascend to the temple mount to worship. God wants his people to consider three things as they go to worship.
 
Pray
​
First, these two verses are a prayer. This is the fundamental action of our relationship with God. When we move from our daily lives into worship of the Almighty God, prayer helps us set our mind to the Holy God. He has called us into his presence to worship him. He wants our full attention.
   As they go to worship, the Jews pray for God to save them from their enemies’ influences. This is likely an appeal to God to keep their hearts away from pagan immoral influences. Our prayers must recognize our need for spiritual purity. When we pray, we speak to the God we ….
 
Trust
 
God is very clear throughout Scripture that when we pray we must trust in God’s response: V 3 What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue? 4 He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom tree. As we conclude our prayers, we must spiritually submit to the LORD’s answer. We will not silence God’s enemies. They are too numerous. But God will work in many ways to remove those who oppose him. Seldom does he immediately act, but he awaits his time to respond in his will. This requires us to …
 
Wait
 
Psalm 120: 5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar! 6 Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. 7 I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.
 
Meshach and Kedar refer to two pagan people groups at the opposite ends of Israel. The point here is that when we associate with unbelievers for too long, we begin to think as they do. And another challenge in the church is the influence of nominal Christians who minimize God. God’s enemies, as the apostles refer to in their letters, can be false teachers who lift themselves above our Lord Jesus. Or they could be people who attend church but fail to put their faith into action (James 1).
   We must be careful to not dwell among them in the sense they keep us from God. Instead, we must pray for God to turn their hearts to repentance. Be confident God will do his will and wait on his response.
 
When we go to worship with prayer on our lips, trust in our hearts and waiting in our soul, we will be prepared to spiritually ascend to God’s throne. And you don’t have to wait for worship on Sunday. You can do this when you sit at home to read and pray his Word. Your life is to be continual worship, ascending spiritually to God each day. Speak to him. Trust him. Wait on him. He is LORD. May his holy will be done in your life.