“With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.” (Psalm 142:1–2, ESV)
Sitting at his office desk, Joe felt ill-at-ease. He had this gut feeling that something wasn’t right. Truth be told, he was sitting at his desk that morning with a headache, because he drank too much beer while playing video games with his buddies the previous night. Now, he was paying for that fun with a mild hangover. He took aspirin with some caffeinated coffee. It helped a little, but he still had that nagging feeling that he just couldn’t get a handle on. Something wasn’t right. Did he forget something? Was there something he was supposed to do?
Later that morning, while taking another coffee break, Joe did feel better. He had a little nausea, but the headache seemed to be retreating. He was able to focus well on work, despite the slightly foggy brain. Still, in the back of his mind, something seemed amiss. Before returning to work, he prayed, “Lord, what is it that has me so ill-at-ease today? Help me remember what I forgot! Help me see what I’m supposed to be doing. Amen.” It was a short prayer, to the point. Joe hoped God heard his plea. Joe hated this feeling. What was it that was so important?
That afternoon, Joe got a text from one of his friends. In that text, it was revealed that a teacher from his High School had died. His friend didn’t know it, but Joe idolized that teacher. He loved that teacher more than any other. For a moment, Joe started to tear up. Then, he stopped himself. He held in the emotions, acted casual about it, and went back to work at his computer.
After a full day’s work on Friday, Joe came home to his apartment. He took a shower and got changed. He warmed up some food, opened another beer, and turned on his favorite video game. After eating and playing his game for two hours, Joe took a break. As he did so, that familiar feeling came back over him. He was forgetting something. What was it? After a couple of minutes, he went back to his video game. Two hours later, Joe’s video game console started acting up. Joe figured it was just a software malfunction. After trying to get it working, Joe found the system was dead. Further, Joe realized that he had lost some of his achievements. Angrily, Joe swore as he paced around his couch, wondering how many hours he lost because of the system failure.
The next day, Joe bought a new gaming system and spent hours trying to recover his games and achievements and more. He fell asleep late on Saturday and Sunday night, without even praying. Then, in the middle of Sunday night, he awoke with a start. He felt that familiar feeling that something was “off”. What was it? He ignored the feeling again and just went back to sleep.
As Joe began to get ready for work on Monday morning, he said a quick prayer, “Lord God, watch over me today! Amen.” Then, he jumped into his car and left for work. On the way, Joe passed his old high school. He thought about his favorite teacher who had just died. He wondered if his teacher ever knew what an impact he made on Joe. Joe thought back to all the hours he lost due to the broken gaming system. What a waste of time that was! Throughout the drive, Joe began to think about his life, if he impacted anyone, and what the world would be like if he were not even born. In a moment of clear-headedness, Joe questioned, “What am I really doing with my life? What if my life ended today? Would my achievements disappear just like with my video games?”
Sitting at his work desk half an hour later, Joe again pondered his life and choices. His workday was composed of him sitting alone in a cubicle at a desk. His nights were mostly filled with video games, beer, and sometimes having friends over to play games with him. He barely visited family. He almost never went to church anymore. He used to volunteer his time at a food pantry but hadn’t been back since COVID. He could die in his apartment and only a couple of friends would care. Was this all his life was meant to be?
As Joe drove home, he continued to ruminate on meaning in his life. As he thought about praying to God about it, he realized something about his prayers. Even with God, Joe had been neglectful. He hardly ever spent time reading the Bible or praying. He only said short prayers, usually asking God for something. When was the last time he praised God, or gave thanks, or even talked with God about what really mattered?
That very night, Joe opened up the Bible packed away in his closet and began to read. Then, he spent an hour writing God a long letter about what he was feeling, what he missed, and who meant a lot to him. He asked God about what to do with his life, what should change, what mattered. For the first time in months, Joe began to envision that what he had been missing all along was a closer connection with God and some meaning in his life. He had to make some changes.
Since those days, Joe has promised to talk with God daily. His prayers often contain his thoughts, musings, worries, fears, hopes, and thanks. Others noticed Joe back at church. Joe’s parents appreciated Joe’s frequent visits and help. People at work started asking Joe to pray for them. And when they did, Joe kept in touch to see how they were getting along with all the prayer support! Today, Joe would tell you that his old life used to be filled with mindless functioning. He was like a zombie, just going through the motions. Now, he has found meaning and purpose in a life filled with volunteering, prayer, worship, deeper friendships, and more love. That all came to fruition when Joe started a “real” dialogue with God about what was most important in his life.
There are many people, like Joe, who go through life in a zombie state. They go through the motions without much meaning or purpose. Their life may be centered on material possessions that can be lost in an instant, or on an image that will fade with time. Their identity may revolve around social media, a political ideology, a job title, a good public image, or the accolades of others. So many people do not see the shallowness of their existence. They ignore the nagging voice in the back of their head that says, “Is this all there is to my life?”, “Why am I lonely?”, or “Why do I feel so empty?”. God desires a real relationship, but they are too consumed with worldly passions, promises, or pleasures.
The scripture for today was written by David. According to the introduction to Psalm 142, David wrote the psalm when he was alone in a cave. There, surrounded by silence and darkness, David had to face his reality. He had nobody to turn to, only God. He had time to reflect. He began by reaching out to God with the following words, “With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD….” (Psalm 142:1). David was not silent in that cave. He used his voice. He spoke with God. He opened up his heart to God. He had a heart-to-heart conversation with God. David looked deep into his own soul and from deep within, he “poured out his complaints” (Psalm 142:2). David shared his “troubles” with God in an open and sincere way (Psalm 142:2).
If you ever wake up one day and find yourself “missing something”, it might be good to open up to God. Don’t send off a quick prayer to God, uncork what has been bottled up inside you! Share your deepest thoughts and fears, your complaints and troubles. Be honest with God. Listen for God’s response. Seek God’s view of your situation. What you might find is that you aren’t where God needs you to be. You aren’t doing what needs to be done. Or maybe, you haven’t been honest with yourself and God.
Can you imagine a marriage or relationship where you only say a few sentences each day, only talk when you aren’t playing video games, or only ask for things? A spouse wouldn’t tolerate the neglect for long. God doesn’t appreciate it either. When you pray, you need to open up and share. When you worship, you need to appreciate the experience and enjoy the interaction. Don’t just go through the motions. Don’t waste your precious existence. Your life was meant to make a difference in this world. Your faith was meant to inspire others. Your prayer time should be filled with deep discussions, much praise, much thanksgiving, and many questions. God enjoys your faithful devotion! God wants you to find the perfect answers.
When was the last time you had a long heart-to-heart talk with God? Have you been too busy to pray? Has your worship time devolved into a habit? Are you going through the motions in life? Do you ever get that nagging feeling? Maybe God is trying to reach you. Maybe you aren’t listening.
Later that morning, while taking another coffee break, Joe did feel better. He had a little nausea, but the headache seemed to be retreating. He was able to focus well on work, despite the slightly foggy brain. Still, in the back of his mind, something seemed amiss. Before returning to work, he prayed, “Lord, what is it that has me so ill-at-ease today? Help me remember what I forgot! Help me see what I’m supposed to be doing. Amen.” It was a short prayer, to the point. Joe hoped God heard his plea. Joe hated this feeling. What was it that was so important?
That afternoon, Joe got a text from one of his friends. In that text, it was revealed that a teacher from his High School had died. His friend didn’t know it, but Joe idolized that teacher. He loved that teacher more than any other. For a moment, Joe started to tear up. Then, he stopped himself. He held in the emotions, acted casual about it, and went back to work at his computer.
After a full day’s work on Friday, Joe came home to his apartment. He took a shower and got changed. He warmed up some food, opened another beer, and turned on his favorite video game. After eating and playing his game for two hours, Joe took a break. As he did so, that familiar feeling came back over him. He was forgetting something. What was it? After a couple of minutes, he went back to his video game. Two hours later, Joe’s video game console started acting up. Joe figured it was just a software malfunction. After trying to get it working, Joe found the system was dead. Further, Joe realized that he had lost some of his achievements. Angrily, Joe swore as he paced around his couch, wondering how many hours he lost because of the system failure.
The next day, Joe bought a new gaming system and spent hours trying to recover his games and achievements and more. He fell asleep late on Saturday and Sunday night, without even praying. Then, in the middle of Sunday night, he awoke with a start. He felt that familiar feeling that something was “off”. What was it? He ignored the feeling again and just went back to sleep.
As Joe began to get ready for work on Monday morning, he said a quick prayer, “Lord God, watch over me today! Amen.” Then, he jumped into his car and left for work. On the way, Joe passed his old high school. He thought about his favorite teacher who had just died. He wondered if his teacher ever knew what an impact he made on Joe. Joe thought back to all the hours he lost due to the broken gaming system. What a waste of time that was! Throughout the drive, Joe began to think about his life, if he impacted anyone, and what the world would be like if he were not even born. In a moment of clear-headedness, Joe questioned, “What am I really doing with my life? What if my life ended today? Would my achievements disappear just like with my video games?”
Sitting at his work desk half an hour later, Joe again pondered his life and choices. His workday was composed of him sitting alone in a cubicle at a desk. His nights were mostly filled with video games, beer, and sometimes having friends over to play games with him. He barely visited family. He almost never went to church anymore. He used to volunteer his time at a food pantry but hadn’t been back since COVID. He could die in his apartment and only a couple of friends would care. Was this all his life was meant to be?
As Joe drove home, he continued to ruminate on meaning in his life. As he thought about praying to God about it, he realized something about his prayers. Even with God, Joe had been neglectful. He hardly ever spent time reading the Bible or praying. He only said short prayers, usually asking God for something. When was the last time he praised God, or gave thanks, or even talked with God about what really mattered?
That very night, Joe opened up the Bible packed away in his closet and began to read. Then, he spent an hour writing God a long letter about what he was feeling, what he missed, and who meant a lot to him. He asked God about what to do with his life, what should change, what mattered. For the first time in months, Joe began to envision that what he had been missing all along was a closer connection with God and some meaning in his life. He had to make some changes.
Since those days, Joe has promised to talk with God daily. His prayers often contain his thoughts, musings, worries, fears, hopes, and thanks. Others noticed Joe back at church. Joe’s parents appreciated Joe’s frequent visits and help. People at work started asking Joe to pray for them. And when they did, Joe kept in touch to see how they were getting along with all the prayer support! Today, Joe would tell you that his old life used to be filled with mindless functioning. He was like a zombie, just going through the motions. Now, he has found meaning and purpose in a life filled with volunteering, prayer, worship, deeper friendships, and more love. That all came to fruition when Joe started a “real” dialogue with God about what was most important in his life.
There are many people, like Joe, who go through life in a zombie state. They go through the motions without much meaning or purpose. Their life may be centered on material possessions that can be lost in an instant, or on an image that will fade with time. Their identity may revolve around social media, a political ideology, a job title, a good public image, or the accolades of others. So many people do not see the shallowness of their existence. They ignore the nagging voice in the back of their head that says, “Is this all there is to my life?”, “Why am I lonely?”, or “Why do I feel so empty?”. God desires a real relationship, but they are too consumed with worldly passions, promises, or pleasures.
The scripture for today was written by David. According to the introduction to Psalm 142, David wrote the psalm when he was alone in a cave. There, surrounded by silence and darkness, David had to face his reality. He had nobody to turn to, only God. He had time to reflect. He began by reaching out to God with the following words, “With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD….” (Psalm 142:1). David was not silent in that cave. He used his voice. He spoke with God. He opened up his heart to God. He had a heart-to-heart conversation with God. David looked deep into his own soul and from deep within, he “poured out his complaints” (Psalm 142:2). David shared his “troubles” with God in an open and sincere way (Psalm 142:2).
If you ever wake up one day and find yourself “missing something”, it might be good to open up to God. Don’t send off a quick prayer to God, uncork what has been bottled up inside you! Share your deepest thoughts and fears, your complaints and troubles. Be honest with God. Listen for God’s response. Seek God’s view of your situation. What you might find is that you aren’t where God needs you to be. You aren’t doing what needs to be done. Or maybe, you haven’t been honest with yourself and God.
Can you imagine a marriage or relationship where you only say a few sentences each day, only talk when you aren’t playing video games, or only ask for things? A spouse wouldn’t tolerate the neglect for long. God doesn’t appreciate it either. When you pray, you need to open up and share. When you worship, you need to appreciate the experience and enjoy the interaction. Don’t just go through the motions. Don’t waste your precious existence. Your life was meant to make a difference in this world. Your faith was meant to inspire others. Your prayer time should be filled with deep discussions, much praise, much thanksgiving, and many questions. God enjoys your faithful devotion! God wants you to find the perfect answers.
When was the last time you had a long heart-to-heart talk with God? Have you been too busy to pray? Has your worship time devolved into a habit? Are you going through the motions in life? Do you ever get that nagging feeling? Maybe God is trying to reach you. Maybe you aren’t listening.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, I open my heart to You. You have created me. You have watched over my life's work. I pray You have not been disappointed! My hope today is to be honest with You. I pray for help with the following situation: _____________________________. I seek Your wisdom in finding answers for __________________________ . You have blessed our world with so much. Humanity is surrounded by signs of Your love. With each heartbeat, I want to do right. Help me see my sinful ways. Help rid me of the deceitful thoughts that rattle about my mind! Touch my body, that I may be healed inside and out. Clarify my direction with the help of Your Holy Spirit.
I thank You for Jesus. He has been a great light of my life. He has shown me how to seek and find You, Heavenly Father. I thank You for His life. I thank You for Your wisdom on how to deal with life's trials. Let me be a faithful servant of Jesus. Let me, one day, come before Your throne in praise!
I pray for the following people in my life: ___________________________ .
I pray for my country. I pray for the lost souls in this world who have been misled by evil intentions and evil spirits. I pray for Your peace to break out in people who are solely concerned for war.
I love You. I rededicate my life to You, dear Father. In Jesus, I have come to You. Amen.
Heavenly Father, I open my heart to You. You have created me. You have watched over my life's work. I pray You have not been disappointed! My hope today is to be honest with You. I pray for help with the following situation: _____________________________. I seek Your wisdom in finding answers for __________________________ . You have blessed our world with so much. Humanity is surrounded by signs of Your love. With each heartbeat, I want to do right. Help me see my sinful ways. Help rid me of the deceitful thoughts that rattle about my mind! Touch my body, that I may be healed inside and out. Clarify my direction with the help of Your Holy Spirit.
I thank You for Jesus. He has been a great light of my life. He has shown me how to seek and find You, Heavenly Father. I thank You for His life. I thank You for Your wisdom on how to deal with life's trials. Let me be a faithful servant of Jesus. Let me, one day, come before Your throne in praise!
I pray for the following people in my life: ___________________________ .
I pray for my country. I pray for the lost souls in this world who have been misled by evil intentions and evil spirits. I pray for Your peace to break out in people who are solely concerned for war.
I love You. I rededicate my life to You, dear Father. In Jesus, I have come to You. Amen.