50 Days of Prayer – Day 18
“Show me Your ways, LORD, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Remember, LORD, Your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You, LORD, are good.” Psalm 25:4-7 (NLT)
Where do you go for guidance when life gets hard? These are confusing times. Daily we receive conflicting “expert opinions” that leave us wondering what to believe. Social isolation for the protection of public health has only made life more difficult. We’re left perplexed. Psychologist M. Scott Peck said, "Once we truly know that life is difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult." Is that the new normal? Just deal with it? Accept it?
Psalm 25 offers us hope when life feels like a maze and we don’t know what to do or where to go. David knew that the path of life wasn't easy, but he succeeded in his journey because he sought God in fervent prayer. This is a powerful example for us to pray as well when we need guidance, when life is confusing, and truth has become relative.
In verse four, David acknowledges his need for guidance. That’s the first step in receiving Divine direction in your life – you must want to be guided. How badly do you want God to lead you? David prayed, “Show me Your ways, LORD, teach me Your paths.” We often mistakenly think we know God’s ways and what path we are to take. When the nation of Israel made that mistake, God sent Isaiah, the prophet, to tell them, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
In the New Testament, even the great Apostle Paul acknowledged, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?” Romans 11:33-34 (NIV) We are foolish to act as if we know what God is thinking, much less planning. His knowledge and wisdom are far greater than any mere human’s. So, rather than asking God to bless our plans, we should adjust our lives to where He is at work and submit to His plan. Only then we will experience the blessing of God and the clarity we need to see the path where He is leading us. When we want that more than anything else, we will ask for it as David did, “Show me Your ways, LORD, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.”
Did you notice the intensity of David’s petition in prayer?
Show me …
Teach me …
Guide me …
What a teachable spirit! To be led I must want to be guided. In humility, David acknowledged that his wisdom was not enough. His wisdom could only take him so far. His wisdom was limited. He confessed, “You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” No wonder David was called “a man after God’s own heart!” His relationship with God was personal, intimate, and passionate. He acknowledged God’s mercy, love and goodness as he repented of his own sins trusting God to direct his path.
You and I have that same opportunity in prayer to seek God’s guidance. Ask God today to show you His ways, teach you His paths and guide you in His truth. When we are willing to seek God like that in prayer, learn from His Word, and obey His commands, then we will receive His specific guidance for our lives.