In the Bible, God calls us to ask Him for what we need. As Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7; also Mark 11:24; John 15:7; Phil. 4:6-7). Why does the Lord instruct us to do this? He already knows what we will say before we say it, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:8; also Ps. 139:4). Yet, the Lord tells us to ask Him for all our needs because He wants us to…come to Him. The Psalms of the Bible help us to do this.
As we approach God, He faithfully works in our lives; from this, we get to know His character, His ways, and His committed love for us—day by day, request by request. Through our going to God and His response to us, trust and relationship are built with our Father, our Friend, our Lord, and our Provider. Additionally, our witness to the world grows as we go to God for everything we require. John quotes Jesus as saying, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). God is glorified as He cares for His people! This is part of His plan to reveal Himself to you and a lost and dying world.
We get to know His character, His ways, and His committed love for us—day by day, request by request.
The needs that we bring to God include healing from sickness, protection from enemies, wisdom in troubled times, vindication from false accusations, and restoration from conflicts, to name a few. Interestingly, these particular needs represent some of the most often presented to the LORD by the psalmists in the Psalms of the Bible. The petitions/prayers of the biblical psalmists are our guides for coming to the Lord. A fourth-century bishop, Athanasius, perceptively said, “Most of the Bible speaks to us, but the Psalms speak for us." As we pray or sing the Psalms, we speak the psalmists' words after them, learning how to take our needs to God, drawing near to Him.
The psalmists also teach us to trust God while waiting for His answers. Many of us find waiting on the Lord’s answers challenging. We may be tempted to conclude that He didn’t hear us or doesn’t care about us. The psalmist’s words, inspired by the Spirit, train us to wait confidently. For example, they write, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD” (Ps. 27:14), and “Weeping may last for a night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5b).
Lastly, the psalmists' words walk us into praising the LORD for His provision and rescue, sometimes even before it manifests. For example, David writes, “You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength” (Ps. 31:4). This kind of faith is walking by the Spirit, my friend, and the Psalms help us do this. So, today, go to Him with all your needs, cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you and wants to be glorified through you! Grab Scripture’s hymnal and let it lead you to the One who can do more than you can imagine.
Want to learn how to praise and pray your way through the Psalms? The Psalms of the Bible: Being Refreshed and Strengthened in the Psalms study guide will help you do just that. Check it out!
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