Prayer: In the Fellowship of God

“O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips, when I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to You, Your right hand upholds me.” -Psalm 63:1-8 (ESV).

I awoke this morning with the words of an old hymn going through my mind:

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed,
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

There are many scriptures I could have chosen for the title of today’s devotional, “Prayer: In Fellowship with God.” I took my Bible concordance and traced several references on prayer, reading how saints of old prayed, and how our Lord went aside often in His earthly ministry to seek God, be refreshed and renewed and enjoy fellowship with the Father. And then I thought I came to a good understanding of why the words of the James Montgomery hymn had been in my mind when I awoke. “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire.” Sometimes it is unuttered; sometimes it is expressed. Always it is “the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.” I must admit I was disappointed that I could not find the hymn and its beautiful words in a current hymnbook, and because most of my “old” hymnbooks are still in the “house in the mountains,” I had to go online to satisfy my curiosity about the beautiful words James Montgomery (1771-1854) wrote so long ago and set to the “Camp Meeting” melody harmonized by Robert G. McCutchan.

Psalm 63 is David’s prayer as he was hiding out in the wilderness of Judah, seeking to escape Saul, jealous and vengeful, who wanted the life of the one anointed to be the next king of Israel. Someone has aptly stated that when we have no other way to turn, we turn to God in prayer. Prayer should not be just a “last-ditch effort” for any of us, although God welcomes and hears even our desperate pleas. Even though Psalm 63 is a Psalm of Lamentation, it is still rich in expressing the heart of prayer which is fellowship with God. The one who prays seeks God, thirsts for fellowship with Him, longs to be in His presence, and is rewarded by seeing God and beholding His power and glory. The one who prays embraces God’s love and recognizes it as strong, steadfast, enduring. Fellowship with God satisfies as a needed meal satisfies a hungry body. It is wonderful to remember God when upon one’s bed and to experience the protection of His mighty wings. Prayer develops a special relationship between God and the one who frequently and constantly turns to Him in prayer: “My soul clings to God; God's right hand upholds me!” Christians are very familiar with the Lord’s instructions that we ask in His name (John 14:13-14). James Montgomery ended his wonderful hymn with these words:

“O Thou, by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the way:
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod;
Lord, teach us how to pray!”

And Jesus did just that! He gave us the Lord’s Prayer. Will you pray it sincerely now?