Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

My people, hear my teaching;
    listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable;
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.

• Psalm 78:1-4

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always.

• Psalm 105:1-4

Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord
    or fully declare his praise?
Blessed are those who act justly,
    who always do what is right.
Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people,
    come to my aid when you save them,
that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
    that I may share in the joy of your nation
    and join your inheritance in giving praise.

• Psalm 106:1-5

“Psalms 78, 105, and 106 tell us about the history of the people of God on earth, about the electing grace and faithfulness of God and the unfaithfulness and the ingratitude of his people. Psalm 78 is not addressed as a prayer to anyone. How ought we to pray these Psalms? Psalm 106 summons us to thanksgiving, to praise, to commitment, to petition, to confession of sin, to the call for help in the light of the past history of salvation: thanksgiving for the goodness of God, which continues with respect to his people into eternity, which also we contemporaries experience as did our forebears; praise for the miracles which God works for our benefit, from the redemption of his people out of Egypt all the way to Golgotha; commitment to keep the command of God more faithfully than before; petitions concerning the grace of God according to his promise; confession of our own sins, unfaithfulness, and unworthiness in the face of such compassion; call for help concerning the final gathering and redemption of the people of God.”

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, psalms, The Prayer Book of the Bible

Dietrich Bonhoeffer speaks of “Holy History.”  He speaks of how he is unsure regarding how we should pray these psalms.  There was much of the history of the Bible where God is powerful, loving, faithful, merciful, etc. while the people of Israel were unfaithful, unrepentant, and ungrateful.

It is kind of a broken record and a puny prayer to say, “God you did it before so do it again, when we are not grateful or repentant.”

But does that not point us to the way we should pray?  We should repent.  We should confess.  We should glorify God because He hears our prayers, and He has rescued His people before.  We can raise praise and honor to God for Holy History.

But what of our personal gratitude?  When we recognize how God parted the Red Sea, were we there at the time?  But when we prayed for God to part the traffic during rush hour so that we could get to the church for a revival meeting (true story of mine, and I had the revivalist in the car with me – his flight was delayed)…  That might not be Holy History, but it is my history, it is a part of my story.  And what about the times that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I could have been killed?  God was there too.

Do not worry that you cannot remember a specific time, if you pray hard enough, God can remind you.

Give praise.  Give adoration.  Give heartfelt gratitude.  And if you have any time left in your prayer, you might ask, “God, can you do it again?”  But that part may not matter by the time you think of all the scrapes God has gotten you out of in the past.  He is faithful.  He loves you.  He is there with you.

Lord, guide us as we pray.  Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise. (Psalm 106:4-5)  Thank you for the times when I might have died if you were not there.  Remember the gang initiation when a switchblade was flicked within a few inches of my neck and I was able to drive away from danger?  Remember when I fell asleep driving home from a Christian youth retreat, awakening within a hundred yards of hitting a car head on, swerving just in time.  Thank you for saving my life, time and again.  I guess that I am already living on borrowed time, but I need You, again and again, Lord. In the name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.