New: 20 February 2025
A Prayer for
God's Guidance
Psalm 143
Hear my prayer, O LORD,
Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness,
in Your righteousness!
Psalm 143:1
Clarity in Times of Confusion
The psalmist is asking God to hear his prayer and give ear to his supplication. He is asking for God to answer him in His faithfulness and righteousness (Psalm 143:1). His spirit was overwhelmed because an evil enemy has persecuted him into dark place (vv 3-4). Such times are dreadful; too hard to handle. We need guidance; we need help; we need a light in the darkness of confusion and despair. The last thing we need, when hard pressed by enemies, is for God to enter into judgment with us, for in His sight no person is righteous (v 2). But the psalmist knew that although God is holy and our sin brings us into judgment, God hears and answers in His faithfulness. There is mercy and forgiveness with God. This is comforting. In a time of confusion we can gain clarity by asking God for guidance. In a time of darkness we can ask God to give us the light of His direction.
A good way to start gaining clarity and guidance is to meditate on who God is and what He has done in the past. The psalmist remembered the days of old and what God was doing in the past (v 5). This is not some emotional nostalgic denial of the present, but a calling to remind ourselves of who God is and what He is able to do. What He has done, He can do again. In times of confusion and darkness we need to keep in mind who God is and what He is able to do. It lends perspective to what can be, despite present difficulties. Lifting our hands to Him in worship is an expression of surrender to Him and a posture of prayer asking for guidance (v 6a). The psalmist focused his mind on God, longing for Him 'as a parched land' (v 6b), symbolic of the need for rain. Times of confusion and darkness can feel dry and empty, even lifeless. It is vital that we don't allow our outlook on life to be shaped by negative circumstances, but that we gain proper perspective and cry out to the Source of all life. That is the idea behind seeking God in prayer for guidance. We ask, we seek, we inquire. We want to get out of the darkness place the persecuting enemy has drive us; we want to get out of the place of being overwhelmed where everything is too much; we want to get out of a dry place that is lifeless and painful. God can guide us. He won't fail us; He is faithful.
Let me hear
Your lovingkindness
in the morning;
for I trust in You;
Teach me the way
in which I should walk;
for to You I lift my soul.
Psalm 143:8
Guidance in Times of Uncertainty
When things have gone wrong, you must make them right again—asking for God's guidance is the way to do so. The psalmist turned to God in prayer and was looking for answers. He did so by asking God to respond quickly as his spirit was failing him (Psalm 143:7a). Sometimes the situation we're in is too hard to handle and we have too little strength to go on—he needed an answer urgently! Although we are instructed in Scripture to be patient and wait on God and His timing, it is not wrong to bring our requests to God in all honesty, even if we appear impatient or desperate. God understands. He knows what we need before we ask Him and He is aware when things are urgent or our strength is failing—or both! The psalmist needed to see God's face and asked God not to be far from him, or else, with failing strength, he'd be comparable to the dead (v 7b). Life can be dramatic and in such times of uncertainty we need God's guidance. The psalmist prayed for it—and so should we.
The psalm shows us that asking God for guidance is the way to find the right path in life. We are encouraged to seek and ask God the moment we awake. Starting the day with hearing of God's lovingkindness is a great way to face another day when things have been rough or difficult. Seeking God is an expression of trust in Him (v 8a). Discouragement, or even depression, makes the morning, or even getting up, difficult or burdensome. Being in such a state is dangerous and you need to get out of it. We need to focus on God and ask guidance. Hearing about His lovingkindness in the morning—the first thing we hear—is important. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23)—and we can take on the challenges on a new day. We trust God. We ask Him to teach us the way we should go (v 8b). This is expression of having hope in God to give us guidance and strength. As we do so, walking in the path God shows and teaches us, is the way of deliverance from the enemies (v 9) that forced us into 'dark places' (v 3). There is a way out. God will enlighten our darkness (Micah 7:7-8; Psalm 18:28; E20) and show us the way. God is our refuge (Psalm 143:9). He gives guidance in times of uncertainty.
Doing God's Will for His Name's Sake
When we sit in 'dark places' and feel the pressure of needing urgent answers, we are tempted to make rash decisions that lead to more trouble. That's the last thing we need. In times of confusion and uncertainty, we need clarity of guidance and the peace that comes with it. It is vital that we ask God not only to show us His lovingkindness, but also to teach us His will (Psalm 143:10). Only His will and the way He is teaching us, will be the right path in life. The humility of the psalmist he displays towards God is vital. When Jesus was in great anguish before the crucifixion, He surrendered His life to God's will (Matthew 26:36-42). His will is the best and safest place to be. God knows best; we don't. We can ask for His wisdom in trials (James 1:2-5), asking God to show us the way out in temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). When we pray to God, He brings us out of the 'dark places' the enemies forced us into, so that we can walk on the paths He prepared for us. We ask God for His good Spirit to guide us (Psalm 143:10b). His Spirit will guide us in the truth (John 14:16-18, 26). The 'level ground' (Psalm 143:10) speaks of a smooth path to walk on after all the ups and downs of life that strain our strength and discourage our attitude. God will make a way where there seems no way.
When we ask God to shows us His path and teach us His will, we do so for His Name's sake (Psalm 143:11; cf., Psalm 23:3). This is the way to get 'out of trouble' (Psalm 143:11b). God will deal with our enemies as we walk in His righteousness and trust His lovingkindness (v 12). We must not take revenge on our enemies; God is just and will deal with them as and when He sees fit. In life, it is not about what others do wrong; it is about what we must do right! We trust God to guide us in His will for His Name's sake!