Read: Psalm 6
The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. (v. 9)
The “prayer book of the Bible” is certainly the book of Psalms. Treasured by believers over the centuries, it is the voice of faith raised in both praise and lament. In today’s reading, we are invited to cry out to God with the psalmist, to share our deepest needs and cries.
But the Bible is filled with other prayers as well. The Old Testament contains many stories telling how believing people turned to God in prayer in moments of crisis, doubt, joy, danger, and terrible loneliness. Although our lives are different in many ways from these believers of ancient times, we can often recognize ourselves in their stories. Their doubt sounds a lot like ours. Their loneliness echoes ours. So does their joy.
In the devotional meditations that follow over the next two weeks, we will explore the stories of Old Testament men and women who turned to God in prayer, both when they were struggling and when they were rejoicing. These old saints and sinners have much to teach us about the patience and persistence of prayer. Through their prayers, we see a God who will not let us go no matter what the circumstances of our lives. —Leanne VanDyk
Prayer: Hear our prayers, O Lord, and incline your ear to us. As you heard the prayers of your people from days long ago and hear those who call on you now, be faithful to us, we pray. Amen.
About the Author
Leanne Van Dyk is a Reformed theologian and theological educator. She has focused much of her work on atonement theology and the development of theological education. She is the tenth president of Columbia Theological Seminary.
