brusk's Journal

In my distress I called to the LORD,

       and he answered me.

    From the depths of the grave I called for help,

       and you listened to my cry.

You hurled me into the deep,

       into the very heart of the seas,

    and the currents swirled about me;

       all your waves and breakers swept over me.

I said, “I have been banished

       from your sight;

    yet I will look again

       toward your holy temple.”

The engulfing waters threatened me,

       the deep surrounded me;

    seaweed was wrapped

       around my head.

To the roots of the mountains I sank down;

       the earth beneath barred me in forever.

    But you brought my life up from the pit,

       O LORD my God.

When my life was ebbing away,

       I remembered you, LORD,

    and my prayer rose to you,

       to your holy temple.

Those who cling to worthless idols

       forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

But I, with a song of thanksgiving,

       will sacrifice to you.

    What I have vowed I will make good.

       Salvation comes from the LORD.

Do you use the Psalms for your prayer book? Do you imitate the ancient Hebrews and adapt portions of the Psalms for your prayers according to your needs? An example of this type of prayer is Jonah’s plea (above) from the depths of the sea:  it comes line after line from various Psalms. This is how the Jews learned to pray and how they knew how to address God.

What I like about the Psalms is that they are very honest about problems and problem people. I’ve found terrible prayers about lions and kidneys in the Psalms, and I’ve loved offering them to Him. Even New Testament prayers are given to us as models. Indeed, how would we know how to ask if He didn’t tell us?

One time I copied out all the prayers in the Bible—Hannah's, Solomon’s, Habakkuk’s, Mary’s, Paul's—all of them. I figured, how could I know how to talk to Him about my problems and what I want to ask Him unless I know the kinds of prayers He has approved?