Stupid Prayers (Psalm 41)

A couple years ago Josh Groban sang, “You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; You raise me up… To more than I can be.”

In today’s reading (Psalm 41) David sang, “Raise me up, that I may repay them.” He’s talking about his enemies, and especially a good friend of his whom he’s feeling bitter towards. At the moment David is sick, and he’s praying that God will bring him back to full health so he can get revenge on these people.

And … once again it amazes me that someone like David, who God called “a man after my own heart” can pray such a stupid prayer. And it makes me realize that all of us are capable of praying stupid prayers. In fact, we probably are praying stupid prayers. So what stupid prayer are you praying? Maybe it’s:

• “God, please let me get married, ’cause I need a man.” (When what you really need is to learn that all you really need is Him.)
• “God, make my church as big as ______’s.” (Yeah, like that prayer shows you can handle success without it pulling your heart away from God’s.)
• [you fill in the stupid prayer you’re praying]

I wonder how many of the prayers I’m praying for this new church we’re starting are really stupid, just revealing my insecurities, or my dependence on self rather than God?

Well, thank God for grace, that He loves stupid people like us, despite our stupid prayers…