Escaping an Unkind World

I’m continuing to read A Praying Life by Paul Miller, and continue to be led to a slowness with God through his words:

“We are often so busy and overwhelmed that when we slow down to pray, we don’t know where our hearts are. We don’t know what troubles us. So, oddly enough, we might have to worry before we pray. Then our prayers make sense. They will be about our real lives.”

Sometimes slowing down to meditate on God’s word can feel scary, because slowing down allows the chaos of our worries to come to the surface. Let’s choose NOT to fear the chaos, because as we’ll see in the Psalm, God knows our worries and wants us to draw near.

Take a few moments to quietly prepare your heart to enter God’s presence. Intentionally release the chaos and the noise in your mind. Read these passages slowly, lingering over the words. After each reading, take a few moments to silently reflect. Afterwards, spend a few minutes in prayer over what you received from God’s Word and give thanks for His amazing words of life 

• After the 1st passage: Listen for a word or phrase that particularly strikes you. 

• After the 2nd passage: Listen to how the passage seems to touch your life experience. 

• After the 3rd passage: Reflect on the questions below. 

Excerpts from Psalm 31 

I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, 
because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, 
and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; 
you have set my feet in a broad place. 
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; 
my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.  
For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; 
my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. 

 But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”  
My times are in your hand…. 
Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! 

 
Oh, how abundant is your goodness, 
which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, 
in the sight of the children of mankind! 
In the cover of your presence you hide them…. 

(ESV) 

 —-------------------------------------------  

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, 
for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. 
You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place. 

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. 
Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. 
I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. 
 
But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” 
My future is in your hands…. 
 Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me. 
 
How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. 
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, 
blessing them before the watching world. 
You hide them in the shelter of your presence…. 

(NLT) 

 —-------------------------------------------  

I’m leaping and singing in the circle of your love; 
you saw my pain, you disarmed my tormentors, 
You didn’t leave me in their clutches but gave me room to breathe. 
Be kind to me, God—I’m in deep, deep trouble again. 
I’ve cried my eyes out; I feel hollow inside. 
My life leaks away, groan by groan; my years fade out in sighs. 
My troubles have worn me out, turned my bones to powder. 

 Desperate, I throw myself on you: you are my God! 
Hour by hour I place my days in your hand, safe from the hands out to get me. 
Warm me, your servant, with a smile; save me because you love me. 

 What a stack of blessing you have piled up for those who worship you, 
Ready and waiting for all who run to you to escape an unkind world. 
You hide them safely away from the opposition…. 

(MSG) 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS* 

• What is God doing in this passage? (Circle all of the words that show His actions/work.)  

• What is God inviting me to do? (Underline the words that show your actions/work.)  

• What areas in my life am I trying to do God’s work for Him? 

• How am I experiencing loss, pain, woundedness, and brokenness? What would it look like to bring these to God for Him to heal?
  

We invite you to take use the Lectio Divina worksheet,
PSALM 31 LECTIO DIVINA, to enhance your experience.