Take a Deep Breath ... Praying Psalm 130 during Advent

Praying Psalm 130

An Advent-themed Psalm

It's December 16, and yesterday we celebrated the third Sunday of Advent.  Advent is a season of anticipation of a Holy Day, Christmas, which celebrates God's gift of a Savior in Jesus Christ.  Many of us look forward to Christmas Eve worship service as a spiritual highlight of the season.  When we make our trek to the church on Christmas Eve, it's not altogether unlike the people of Israel making their trek up to the temple on the mountain of the Lord in Jerusalem.  So a Psalm of Ascent makes sense during this season.

Psalm 130 is a Psalm of Ascent that makes a lot of sense during the Advent journey.  Here you'll find featured the watchwords of Advent: waiting and hope. You'll also find mention of God's steadfast love, forgiveness, and redemption - words that get to the heart of why God sent his Son to be God with us.  It opens up with an honest admission of feeling low - in the depths - that so many of us experience during this time of year that our culture labels "the most wonderful time of the year."  Good thing that God is listening to our prayers, and hears our voice in the midst of all the noisy holiday hustle and bustle.

The first half of Psalm 130 is in the form of a prayer, already in the form of words you can simply speak to God.  The second half is more of a personal testimony: you'll have to change the language a bit to work it into a direct prayer.

 

Psalm 130:1-2

*Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. *Lord, hear my voice!Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!

Pray these words directly to the Lord; consider saying them a couple of times slowly.  Think of the depths that you may be experiencing right now, and tell God about it.  Remember, his ears are attentive to you. He hears you.

Psalm 130:3-4

*If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? *But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.

Pray these words directly to the Lord, then ease into telling God the truth about your sins.  As you confess and say sorry, remember that God has a right to judge our behavior, but also that God wants to be revered for his forgiveness.

Psalm 130:5-6

*I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; *my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.

Personalize the language of this Psalm, and aim the words toward the Lord.  Consider what you are waiting for this Advent.  How are you experiencing the wait?  Engage in a casual prayerful conversation with God.  Remember how the people of God waited for a Savior, and when the moment was right God made good on his promise.

Psalm 130:7-8

*O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. *It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Personalize these words and say them to the Lord.  Give thanks for God's steadfast love, the reason behind the Christmas story.  Thank God for your redemption in Jesus Christ.  Remember, it is the Lord who will redeem you from all your iniquity, and the Lord's POWER TO REDEEM is GREAT!

 

Words of Blessing

May your Advent waiting result in an experience of God's powerful redemption, as God meets you with steadfast love and listening ears right where you live.