Bootstrap

52 Workday Prayers: Psalm 44 - Wake Up, Lord!

Prayer / Produced by partner of TOW
Wake up

Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

Psalm 44:23

Prayer

Gracious God, what an astounding verse this is! So blunt! So bold! So unexpected! If this verse were not in the Psalms, I’d never think it was okay to speak to you in this way. Yet, this verse invites so much honesty and openness. It shows me that I don’t have to pretend with you. I can tell you what I really think, what I really feel, what I really want.

Thank you for the freedom to say to you what’s in my heart, even when I “know better.” Yes, I know you aren’t sleeping. I know you don’t have to be awakened. Yet there are times, Lord, when it seems as if you are asleep, times when my desperate prayers seem to go unheard. Though I know you aren’t sleeping, I wonder why your ears seem closed to my cries.

You don’t give me an answer for your silence in this psalm. But you do encourage me to pray without holding back. You invite me to a quality of honesty that is truly stunning. Can I really speak to the God of the universe in this way? Yes, you reply. Amazing!

So, Lord, when I urgently need your help, whether I’m at work or at home, at church in my neighborhood, when I feel as if you aren’t even there, help me to cry out to you freely. Teach me to be fully myself with you, confident in your grace given so richly through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Ponder Throughout the Day

You can be fully honest with God. Don’t hold back!

For Further Reflection

Read all of Psalm 44, paying attention to what the Spirit of God is stirring up in your heart, especially in relationship to your work. Talk with God about what you are thinking and feeling.

Several years ago I wrote a book on prayer. It’s called No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. You can buy this book from Amazon in paper and electronic formats.

This prayer is part of a collection: 52 Workday Prayers: Learn from the Psalms How to Pray through Your Work. To purchase this devotional and small group guide, visit the De Pree Center store.