Psalms 55-56
As you may have gathered by now, David faced a lot of torment from enemies. Today, you'll read how he finds it more hurtful to feel betrayed by his best friend. Even when our friends may turn on us, however, we can find a more powerful friendship in God, Who will deliver us when we cry out to Him. Find a prayer relationship with God so you can be close to Him when times of darkness hit.
Pray for your community. Even though we are surrounded by so much, various destruction in this world, we can learn to be in a prayerful relationship with God about the evil and taking action. David shows this here, as he prays for wickedness he sees within the city, crying out to God to make it good. How often do you cry out to God for your community? As followers of Christ, we should be the ones on the front lines of our communities and our world, helping and praying where wicked has taken over. When your community can see you (as a church) cares for them in being for them and praying for them, you begin to open up a new relationship with them that is trusting and that they belong.
Pray, so that you can let it go. As David faces betrayal from friends, he does the one thing we should all do when we face disappointment and hurt from loved ones: prays to God. David tells us to "cast our cares on the Lord" (vs. 22). This can be a hard thing to do, especially if someone has hurt us, but it is the right thing to do. Constantly thinking about the ones who hurt you and how you can hurt them back isn't a way to live at all. It is what creates the wickedness that rip through our communities, as we discussed above. David says to give it to the Lord. Are you struggling with a loved one who has hurt you or turned on you? Do as David says.
Pray, building trust in God more and more. Fear can be a very debilitating thing. I can't imagine the fear that went through David as he encountered all of these foes and traitors in his life. Yet his secret was to trust that God had him. It isn't easy to trust God when we face impossible situations, but sometimes it is all we have left to do. The more you practice trusting in Him and the more you see Him delivering you, the bigger your trust will be in Him next time. (Yes, there will probably be a next time.) Praise Him for the deliverance He as given you through those hard situations and know He has you in His mind.
You can build relationships through prayer. Ask the people who serve you (waiters, receptionists, mechanics, baristas...) "how can I pray for you." This tells them that you care about them and then you move from a relationship of being served to serving, opening the door for making them feel like they belong. Prayer is powerful and it can be used in building your trust in God as well. Pray and cry out to God to move you from complacent to passionate. Pray to God to move you from fear to faith. Pray, to build your relationship with Him. It is an important part of our lives with Him and those around us.
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