Psalm 141:1-2
O LORD, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
Listen when I cry to you for help!
Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
and my upraised hands as an evening offering.
Eugene Peterson: “Arrow prayers – petitions shot off to God on the spur of the moment – are spontaneous and urgent. The use of incense to symbolize prayer and the appointing of an evening hour for the sacrificial act of worship are legitimate enough, but prayer cannot be confined to such established forms and set times. Empty hands and unstudied words are always welcome before God.�
Prayer: Lord, take the half-formed sentences I address to you and half-conscious movements I make toward you – my interjections and my gestures – and make prayers of petition and praise out of them, in the name of and for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.
I did my own personal study of David asking God to answer him ‘quickly’, here are just a few… (cf. 31:2; 69:17; 70:1, 5; 71:12; 79:8; 102:2; 141:1; 143:7) It is interesting how many times, David asks god to answer him, & to come to his side – Quickly!
It reminds me of when I am talking to my children in the morning to get them to school. I say something like: “We have to move quickly Caleb & Elisabeth, so we are not late� – which they don’t really like doing at 6:30a in the morning 
Anyway, almost in that exact same way – that is how David is speaking. It is hard to imagine – David, the man after God’s own heart – saying ‘quickly God – answer me. We got to get going on this God… Do you realize how long I have been praying about this God?… We have to get a move on… Do you realized what I need here God?… Please hurry!’
Here is how Spurgeon talks about this, relating to Psalm 141:1 – KJV: “Make haste unto me.� His case was urgent, and he pleaded that urgency. God’s time is the best time, but when we are sorely pressed we may with holy importunity quicken the movements of mercy. In many cases, if help should come late, it would come too late; and we are permitted to pray against such a calamity.
5 responses so far ↓
compassiondave // December 15, 2008 at 1:01 pm |
Howdy!
WORDPRESS says that our two blogs (at least our most recent posts) are related, so I came by to check you out–I hope you enjoy my slant on the topic. Please stop by my blog and let me know what you think: Jesus + Compassion.
God bless you!
Cd
ericgriggs // February 13, 2009 at 10:22 am |
Keep the Fire burning.. keep the incense bowls full!
spacious4 // March 5, 2009 at 6:44 pm |
I like what you shared. I found you the same way as the person who wrote your first comment.
I have been listening to the book of Psalm since this summer and I write about it a lot on my blog.
rmkilgorejr // April 14, 2009 at 7:42 am |
I too, came across your blog because WORDPRESS considered our blog to be related. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more in the future. I invite you to visit my blog and share your comments.
Peace and Blessings
ann128 // June 8, 2009 at 10:25 pm |
hello! i’m visiting your blog also because our blog is to be related. I enjoyed what you wrote too and i will come back to see what else you write. I hope you visit my blog too!