CHARACTER TRAITS OF THE WICKED (PT. 11)

DAILY WORD

Single Shot

4/27/22

13. Why do the wicked get away with despising God? They think, “God will never call us to account.”

Psalm 10:13 NLT

Today’s Single Shot brings us to the crux of David’s prayer to God about his enemies. We can see his desperation through the manner of his address. The reason for it becomes evident through the descriptions of the actions and behaviors, The Character Traits of the Wicked. But now, we get to see exactly how David “activated” God’s Will to Act.

Every Christian has prayed about something that has caused us distress. But have you ever faced violence or persecution? The kind of prayer that those kinds of more extreme situations elicit is another animal entirely. If you’ve ever been there, you understand what I mean.

If you take a look through any of the Psalms or places in the Bible where people have asked God to intervene in a circumstance, you may notice that their language, though respectful, is still stark. “Why do you stand so far away from me?” “How long will you look the other way?” “Turn and answer me, Lord!”

Do those sound like some austere, pretentious petitions or a desperate appeal? You can almost feel the angst and apprehension in their words. It is almost like the writers are screaming at God, challenging Him to act.

In this Verse, David is literally demonstrating why God should want to defend him. He’s pointed out how badly his detractors have acted, asking Him to intervene. Now David is substantiating how little the Wicked respect Him. His prayer is urging God to act on his behalf.

In times past, when I’ve read Passages like this, I’ve often thought they seemed disrespectful or wanton in their audacity. But as I’ve faced my own desperate situations, when I didn’t know what to do, and the only place I could turn was to God, I’ve learned something about this kind of prayer.

The fact is that when you talk to God in any manner, He hears you. I know from first-hand experience that God will listen when you scream at Him in desperation. He hears those words whispered or even whimpered in emotional agony just as readily as He does one spoken in complete Peace.

However, God’s Answers may not come when or how you envisioned. So, not understanding His timing amid our desperation is understandable. The bottom line is that God gets our distress. Please don’t forget Jesus Himself prayed this type of prayer when He faced His own death in the garden.

God gets our emotion, and He tolerates it. Never be afraid to express your true feelings to Him. Just don’t forget who you’re talking to! He is still God, and He’ll demand His Respect if it’s not offered willingly. IJS. That being said, He wants us to tell Him our troubles.

It indicates our Faith that we call on Him in our most desperate moments. When facing death or danger, we don’t call on our friends or family. The universal fear-derived appeal is almost always to God, even when the individual has rarely if ever spoken to Him before.

But as Christians, we know there’s no better place to go in such a situation than to God. And He is just as interested in our requests as we are in His Answers. God wants to intervene, but He also wants us to ask for it. He’s a gentleman. God won’t force help on us. He wants to make sure we really want it.

The only way to do that is to ask Him for it. Even in your desperation, fear, anger, and anguish, He’ll still listen. He cares; he just wants to know that we do too. Then, after you’ve prayed your desperate prayer, be patient and Praise Him even before seeing the results. He Loves that, and the enemy hates it! All the more motivation if you ask me!

We’ll see how David challenged God to act on his behalf as we continue through this Chapter. But until then, consider amping up your prayers. God understands our emotions. He’s been there! Let Him into your emotions, tell Him what you need, and Praise Him in advance of His Answer. That is the blueprint for a Prayer in Times of Trouble, and it is only available if you Study The Word. It’s all in there, you just have to go find it!

Have a Thought-Provoking Thursday and Remember, The Phrase “Let Go, Let God” May Require You To Expose A Little Emotion!

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