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Psalm 89:9b-12   

I call to you, LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you. Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

For too long we have approached prayer with pretense. We use formulas to make sure we get in “adoration” before we move to “confession,” “thanksgiving,” and finally “supplication.” I have used and taught this ACTS method many times. But God is not listening with a checklist making sure we confess before we cry out.

Throughout the psalms, prayers are from the heart, choked out between sobs and cries in the night. Today’s prayer begins with a constant call and asks God four rapid-fire questions that can be summed up, “God, how can I praise You if I am dead?!” 

I know we like things wrapped up in a nice theological package. We like “five steps” and “six how-to’s.”  That’s just not how life works. Often the psalmist is still feeling the same pain at the end of his prayer as he felt at the beginning. We will see tomorrow that this psalm, like many, ends with more questions than answers. The issue is not getting all of our questions answered. Many times the real issue is trusting God with our questions. 

Father, in this life I will not get all my “why’s” answered. So, please help me to trust You with my questions. In Jesus’ name. Amen.