PSALM 73:23-26 – “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

THEME OF THE DAY: CAN WE PRAY LIKE ASAPH?  As we read the Psalms we will be discovering at least two things. First, the greatest hymn book ever penned unfolds before our eyes.  These are Psalms. Yes, songs.  They have enriched the church through history by Psalm-singing.   We find numerous Psalms put into modern hymnody and sung in our churches today.  The next discovery is that the Psalms reveal to us the greatest prayer manual ever given to the church.  The majority of the Psalms are prayers, and oh how rich such prayers are!  And here is a side note application.  When we are overwhelmed in life, and yearn to pray, but we find our pain preventing words, run to the Psalms. Pray God’s Word back to Him.  So often the Psalmist’s experience is ours and he prays like we long to pray.  I believe God takes great pleasure hearing us pour out our hearts to Him using His Words!  And that leads us to the scripture of today – the prayer of Asaph.

Psalm 73 has been titled “A Crisis of Faith.”  Robert Godfrey writes, “The reality of this struggle for the psalmist is intense. The psalmist feels that his effort to live faithfully before the Lord has been pointless (v.13).  Indeed, he has suffered while the wicked have prospered (v. 14). As the Psalmist comes to understand the fate of the wicked, he sees also how good his God is to him.”

As this revelation of God’s goodness comes to Asaph, today’s scripture is the natural conclusion of the heart and cry in prayer.  Asaph wants nothing in life and beyond but to know, enjoy, and be close to his God.  Think how his prayer is so radical.  He pours his heart out to the Lord and says with sincerity, transparency, and passion, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”  What makes this prayer so profound, and radical is the omniscience of God. He knows everything about Asaph. He knows if He is honoring Him with his lips, but his heart is far away.  He knows if his life matches his prayer. He knows if he is allowing material things, earthly achievements, or human relationships to hold a higher place in his desires than Him.  Yes, God knows everything about Asaph and Asaph knows it, yet is confident in the sincerity of his prayer.  Nothing or no one is competing and winning the affection of his heart.

Now the application . . . are we able, right now, this very moment, to pray like Asaph knowing God knows us as well as He knew Asaph?  Friends, the cry and desire from the heart of Asaph is to be ours as well. In fact, it is to be a chief mark of a healthy Christian.  If it is not, may God make it so in our lives starting today.

PRAYER: Father, may my life reflect my prayers that there is nothing or no one I desire more than You.

REFLECTION: Be careful how we pray for the God who hears our prayers knows the heart behind the prayer.