A Psalm 42 Prayer

"As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."

--Psalm 42 (ESV)--

O Lord, my God, how I long to be filled, to thirst no more! My soul thirsts for You, for Your living water, Jesus. My energy is spent. My life seems dried up. My tears have been the only food day and night for my weary soul. When shall I be filled by You? When will You come through for me? I remember days of joy, times of laughter, celebration and praise. For You, O God, have provided before and You are worthy of praise.

Why, o my soul, are you so downcast? Why are you in such turmoil? Keep your hope in God! For I will again have days of joy, times of laughter, celebration and praise because God will come through. I praise Him even now as I put my hope in Him.

While my soul is downcast within me, I will remember the faithfulness and majesty of the Lord. How He has covered me before with His steadfast love. How His song is within me. How He has provided for me before when I was in the deep, and how He will provide for me again.

To the God of my life, my Savior, my Rock, why? Why have you forgotten me? That's how it feels. That's how it looks to all of my oppressors. I'm mourning; they're laughing. My soul aches with deep pain and confusion. And yet, I still hope in You, O God. For I shall again praise You. You are my salvation and my God. I will not let this agony overtake me. You have already won the victory. My soul thirsts for You as a deer pants for living streams. I put my hope in You, the living God. Do what only You can do, Jesus. Amen.