Psalm 88:8-12 “You have taken my friends from me. You have made me an abomination to them. I am confined, and I can’t escape. My eyes are dim from grief. I have called on you daily, LORD. I have spread out my hands to you. Do you show wonders to the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up and praise you? Selah. Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in Destruction? Are your wonders made known in the dark? Or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?”

Sounds a little like Job, doesn’t it? In pleading with God for rescue, the Psalmist points out that he can’t praise God if he’s dead!

Should we “bargain” with God? It’s probably not the best idea, but we certainly have something here that seems true to life. In our despair we may resort to any and all means to end our trouble. Better to praise God instead of bargaining with Him, regardless of the circumstances.

Daniel 3:16-18 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, ‘Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.’ ”

For additional worship: Praise You in This Storm (Casting Crowns)

Psalm 88:1-7 “A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. For the Chief Musician. To the tune of ‘The Suffering of Affliction.’ A contemplation by Heman, the Ezrahite. LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you. Let my prayer enter into your presence. Turn your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol. I am counted amongst those who go down into the pit. I am like a man who has no help, set apart amongst the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more. They are cut off from your hand. You have laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. Your wrath lies heavily on me. You have afflicted me with all your waves. Selah.”

Even when we know that we’ve done wrong; even when we know that we deserve punishment; even when our sinfulness is the root cause of our despair; even when we know that God is teaching us a lesson; who else are we going to go to in prayer? Confession and repentance are the only things that can make it right.

Psalm 51:1-4 “Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me. Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge.”

For additional worship: Again (Jeremy Camp)

Psalm 87:1-7 “A Psalm by the sons of Korah; a Song. His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God. Selah. I will record Rahab and Babylon amongst those who acknowledge me. Behold, Philistia, Tyre, and also Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ Yes, of Zion it will be said, ‘This one and that one was born in her;’ the Most High himself will establish her. The LORD will count, when he writes up the peoples, ‘This one was born there.’ Selah. Those who sing as well as those who dance say, ‘All my springs are in you.’ “

What is most incredible about this passage is not that God loves Jerusalem. After all, that’s where His temple is! What’s incredible is that people from Gentile nations will be declared citizens of the holy city and counted as those who acknowledge God! This passage clearly anticipates what will happen because of Jesus Christ, and those who serve in the temple rejoice and recognize that He is the source of life and joy.

Ephesians 3:1-6 “For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me towards you, how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words, by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News…”

For additional worship: Behold the Mountain of the Lord (Joe Stout)

Psalm 86:14-17 “God, the proud have risen up against me. A company of violent men have sought after my soul, and they don’t hold regard for you before them. But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth. Turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give your strength to your servant. Save the son of your servant. Show me a sign of your goodness, that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed, because you, LORD, have helped me, and comforted me.”

Hopefully you never have to say this type of prayer. But even if you don’t literally have people seeking your life, there are other problems that could arise that are life threatening. Perhaps then this would be your prayer: “God, my enemies have risen up against me. My life is in danger. I’m coming to you because you are merciful, gracious, slow to anger, kind and holy. Please have mercy on me and give me strength. Save me! And may your salvation be a sign to others that you are real, that you are good, and that you care for your servants.”

This is also a great illustration of what we pray when we ask for God’s mercy and grace for the first time. Our enemies are death, hell, and the grave, and God is the only one who can save us from them!

For additional worship: A Sovereign Protector I Have (Augustus Toplady)

A sov’reign Protector I have,
unseen, yet forever at hand,
unchangeably faithful to save,
almighty to rule and command.

He smiles, and my comforts abound;
His grace as the dew shall descend;
and walls of salvation surround
the soul He delights to defend.

Inspirer and hearer of pray’r,
Thou Shepherd and Guardian of Thine,
my all to Thy covenant care
I sleeping and waking resign.

If Thou art my Shield and my Sun,
the night is no darkness to me;
and fast as my moments roll on,
they bring me but nearer to Thee.

Kind Author and Ground of my hope,
Thee, Thee, for my God I avow;
my glad Ebenezer set up,
and own Thou hast helped me till now.

I muse on the years that are past,
wherein my defense Thou hast proved;
nor wilt Thou relinquish at last
a sinner so signally loved!

Psalm 86:8-13 “There is no one like you amongst the gods, Lord, nor any deeds like your deeds. All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord. They shall glorify your name. For you are great, and do wondrous things. You are God alone. Teach me your way, LORD. I will walk in your truth. Make my heart undivided to fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with my whole heart. I will glorify your name forever more. For your loving kindness is great towards me. You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.”

God is God. There is no-one like Him. There is no-one who can do what He does. He does great and wonderful things! One day all will have to acknowledge Him. But until then, His people are the ones who praise Him, glorify Him, and follow Him, because they are the ones who have experienced His loving-kindness and who have been delivered from the grave!

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 “But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

For additional worship: Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun (Keith & Kristyn Getty)

Psalm 86:1-7 “A Prayer by David. Hear, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am godly. You, my God, save your servant who trusts in you. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to the soul of your servant, for to you, Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you. Hear, LORD, my prayer. Listen to the voice of my petitions. In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me.”

This Psalm is a prayer for God’s intervention. David bases his request on several factors: his trust in God, his desire to follow God, his humility and need for God, and his belief that God will answer him. But he also recognizes several important facts about God: God is good, God is ready to forgive, and God loves and cares for His people. Perhaps we should call this a faith fueled prayer, and see it as a pattern for our own.

Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.”

For additional worship: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Reawaken Hymns)

Psalm 85:8-13 “I will hear what God, the LORD, will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, his saints; but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs out of the earth. Righteousness has looked down from heaven. Yes, the LORD will give that which is good. Our land will yield its increase. Righteousness goes before him, and prepares the way for his steps.”

Having requested God to be merciful, the Psalmist waits to hear His reply, fully convinced that God will give the nation what is good. This assurance comes from the belief that His people are truly repentant and fear Him. His mercy comes because they have chosen to be righteous.

This Psalm gives us a wonderful picture of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. God is righteous, and we are not. That’s why Jesus went to the cross. He obeyed God and becomes our righteousness, so that we can experience God’s mercy and His peace. In Jesus, mercy and truth meet. In Jesus, righteousness and peace kiss. When we choose Jesus, we choose righteousness. It’s His righteousness, but the change that it brings in our lives empowers us to live more righteously now that we know Him!

Romans 10:4 “For Christ is the fulfilment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Romans 8:10 “If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

For additional worship: Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness (Darby Hughes)

Psalm 85:1-7 “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. LORD, you have been favorable to your land. You have restored the fortunes of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah. You have taken away all your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of your anger. Turn us, God of our salvation, and cause your indignation towards us to cease. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to all generations? Won’t you revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your loving kindness, LORD. Grant us your salvation.”

Although referring to the nation of Israel, you may be experiencing something like this in your own life. Do you feel far from God? Have things been happening in your life that have distanced you from your Lord and Savior? Maybe it’s time to remember how He’s blessed you in the past (starting with salvation), and to ask Him to restore and revive you again.

Psalm 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

For additional worship: You Never Are (Francesca Battistelli)

Psalm 84:10-12 “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly. LORD of Armies, blessed is the man who trusts in you.”

Since we’ve already talked about corporate worship, how about we look at this from a different perspective? The Psalmist is longing to meet with God. To spend time in His sanctuary. Since we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we can spend time with God anytime we pray, sing, worship, read, or study. Anytime we devote what we do to God and His service. Anytime we decided to follow His will and commands. We shouldn’t want to dwell in the tents of wickedness. We should want to trust, follow, and serve. We should keep from sin and trust in God. He is our sun and shield! He is the source of every good thing and He is our protector. When we long to be close to God we will experience His presence and His blessing, because we’ll be doing what is right!

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

For additional worship: Sun of My Soul, Thou Saviour Dear (Olive Tree Hymns)

Psalm 84:5-9 “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage. Passing through the valley of Weeping, they make it a place of springs. Yes, the autumn rain covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength. Every one of them appears before God in Zion. LORD, God of Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, God of Jacob. Selah. Behold, God our shield, look at the face of your anointed.”

As the pilgrims go through the valley of “Weeping” (presumably a dry place), they make it a place of springs, presumably because of their tears of joy! Their strength is in the Lord, and that strength increases the closer they get to the temple in Jerusalem. With hearts turned towards Jerusalem the pilgrims think of God’s anointed, the king, who lives there, and they ask God’s blessing to be on Him.

Forgive me for engaging in a bit of allegory here, but life can be hard. We can experience dry, difficult times. But, if we believe in Jesus, God’s anointed one, the Lord promises to be with us. He is our strength and shield! And the reality of the indwelling Spirit and the joy of His presence help us to make it through the difficult times. He turns our tears of heartache into tears of joy, which only increase the closer we get to seeing Him face to face!

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

For additional worship: Amazing Love (Chris Tomlin)