Psalm 142:1–2: I cry out to the Lord with my voice; With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication. I pour out my concerns before Him; I declare before Him my trouble.
Experiencing Jesus in the Psalms
We do not show our trouble before the Lord that he may see it, but that we may see Him. It is for our relief, and not for His information that we make plain statements concerning our woes: it does us much good to set out our sorrow in order, for much of it vanishes in the process, like a ghost which will not abide the light of day; and the rest loses much of its terror, because the veil of mystery is removed by a clear and deliberate stating of the trying facts. Pour out your thoughts and you will see what they are; show your trouble and the extent of it will be known to you: do it before the Lord, and in His great majesty of love the trouble will seem to be as nothing. 1
Living the Transformed Life
Trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart before Him; He is your refuge. Psalm 62:8
- Pour out your heart, and boldly bring forth your most daring request before Him. – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
- Pour out your heart, and openly declare your brokenness and dependency before Him. – Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You. Psalm 102:1
- Pour out your heart, and trust His Spirit to do the work. – His Spirit helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26
Pouring out your heart to Him is a sobering revelation to you, not to Him.
Praise and Prayer
Thank You, Father, for receiving the cries of my heart and for answering my prayers. Dear Jesus, please teach me to come before You in brokenness and humility.
1. PACKER, J. I. (1993). Introduction. In Psalms (p. 339). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
