A Prayer when God’s Providence is Painful

Psalm 105

God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.

John Piper

Psalm 105 is a remembrance psalm. Remembrance psalms were to help the people of God build up “confidence for the present and hope for the future as they contemplate God's great acts in the past” (Longman). It is a beautiful psalm recounting God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt and God’s faithfulness in keeping His covenant promises to Abraham. However, in the midst of the psalm it says, “When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave” (105:16-17). It might be easy to read quickly past those words and miss that the fulfilling of God’s promises was wrought through the painful providences of Joseph’s life.

The story of Joseph takes place in Genesis 37-50. Joseph, the firstborn son of his father’s favorite wife, becomes the favorite of his father’s twelve sons. The events unfold quickly in Scripture that Joseph is hated by his brothers. He is hated so much that they could not even speak a kind word to him and plot to kill him. They decide instead to sell him as a slave to some traders traveling to Egypt. Thus Joseph’s life as favored son is drastically changed to a life of slavery and servitude.

Thirteen years pass. Thirteen years of servitude, false accusations, and wrongful imprisonment. Thirteen years of injustice because of the evil intentions of his brothers. Thirteen years of God’s painful providence placing Joseph in the position to save many lives. Through God ordained circumstances, Joseph rises to great power in Egypt. He becomes lord of pharaoh’s house and “ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom” (Psalm 105:21-22). A full twenty years pass from the time Joseph is sold as a slave to the time he sees his brothers again. And instead of vengeance, though Joseph has the power to execute it, he grants mercy. “But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them” (Genesis 50:19-21). Joseph had learned that God orders the steps of our lives. He brings about His intended purposes. And though at times it can be painful and lengthy, God always accomplishes the good He intends for His children.

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The painful providences of our lives are not arbitrary, coincidental, or because God could not prevent the trouble. Rather, they are the instruments of our loving Father to produce in us the image of His Son and to bring about so many different designs than we could ever imagine. “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them “ (Piper). His wisdom and His ways far exceed our own, and there is a width and length and depth and height to the love of God that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). And “when God puts His love on you, He puts a hedge around you. And what that means is He monitors the flow of pain and trouble into your life…the timing of them, the proportion of them, the nature of them are all according to His appointment, His provision” (T. Keller). Nothing flows into our lives that has not been appointed for us by our Father. The providence of God supersedes a life of comfort. God’s plans trump the desires and visions we have for our own lives, or what others have for our lives. Because He is acting toward us in love, we can, like Joseph, rest in the good purposes of God regardless of any other rival intention. Though his brothers intended evil, God intended good. And God prevailed.

Let’s pray through Psalm 105 bringing our painful circumstances to the Lord and trust His providential plan for each one of us.

Call upon His name

105:1-6 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

Lord, I pray:

▫️Though Your providence has been painful regarding _______, I would remind my heart and mind of Your wondrous works, and thankfulness and praise to You would fill my heart and mouth even in the midst of this painful circumstance. I would be confident that the good You intend will prevail.

▫️I call upon Your name to come quickly to my aid in my distress and bring comfort that You are working powerfully on my behalf. Please work powerfully in ________.

▫️I would continue to seek You in the dry and weary places You have led me. But in this place, Your strength would carry me and bear me through _____. I ask that Your presence would continually be with me giving guidance and comfort. I need Your nearness, Lord.

▫️During the days of this painful providence, Your glory would be manifested in my life and I would long for You to get the glory in how I live and respond to my difficulties.

He remembers

105:7-11 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”

Lord, I pray:

▫️You are the Lord my God. Your judgments are altogether righteous and holy even when I do not understand them. Help me to trust that You will do what is right in my situation.

▫️You are a God who keeps promises and upholds the covenant You have made with Your people. You are a God who cannot lie, and I can have strong encouragement as I flee to You for refuge and lay hold of the sure and steadfast hope set before me (Hebrews 6:18-19).

Touch not my anointed ones

105:12-15 When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”

Lord, I pray:

▫️If it be Your will, You would not allow anyone to oppress me with their words, actions, or attitudes. Your Spirit within me would strengthen me to endure with joy.

▫️You would rebuke the enemy of my soul and protect me from the schemes of the devil. I would be clothed in Your strength and Your armor for the battle I am facing.

▫️I believe that You have put a hedge around me and You monitor all that comes into my life. Uphold me through the painful providences You have ordained, especially ________.

Tested

105:16-22 When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him Lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.

Father, I pray:

▫️I have seen Your providence at work in Joseph’s life, and in many other lives in Scripture. Comfort and encourage my heart during this time of testing that You are providing, protecting, shielding, and maturing me.

▫️The painful realities that I am suffering would all be worth it. There would be beauty from these ashes, healing in this brokenness, mending what has been torn, hope instead of despair, joy replacing gloom.

▫️When I have been tested by fire, my faith would be found to result in praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus (1 Peter 1:7).

Fruitful and Strong

105:23-25 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And the Lord made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes. He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.

Sovereign God, I pray:

▫️As You made Joseph fruitful in the land of his affliction (Genesis 41:52), You would produce fruitfulness in me in my affliction and painful providence. Help me to abide in You in order that I would bear much fruit for Your glory during this time of pruning (John 15:2,8).

▫️Make me stronger than my foes, not because of anything in me because I am weak, but only because You are my strength and Your power is made perfect in my weakness.

▫️You govern the hearts of men. Turn my heart toward You each step of the way through this valley. I need Your help to not be filled with anger, bitterness, envy, and despair over ______. And turn the hearts of others to see the beauty of Christ.

God acted

105:26-36 He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham. He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel against his words. He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die. Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land. He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number, which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground. He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength.

Almighty God, I pray:

▫️Your power to perform amazing signs and wonders on behalf of Your people would be at work now in my circumstances and in my heart. Turn what needs to be turned. Send Your help and speak Your truth and light into _______.

▫️You are a God who delivers. Be my strength, my song, my deliverer, my help, and my hope. I love You, o Lord, my strength (Psalm 18:1).

He gave in abundance

105:37-42 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night. They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river. For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant.

Lord, I pray:

▫️You brought the Israelites out of Egypt with the silver and gold of their enemies. Produce in me and through my hardship beautiful, costly, and eternal treasures far beyond what I could imagine.

▫️Deliver my soul from death and keep me from stumbling! (Psalm 56:13)

▫️ “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you” (Psalm 139:11-12). Be my light in this darkness.

▫️Provide abundantly for me from Your resources. You know my needs during this time, and I know You will give all that is needed and many more blessings besides.

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He brought them out with joy

105:43-45 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil, that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the Lord!

‭‭Lord, I pray:

▫️You would establish joy in my heart in the midst of this pain and bring me out of this valley with joy.

▫️“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your Word” (Psalm 119:67). Help me to understand my heart more fully and Your ways more truly through this affliction in order that my ways would be aligned with Your Word.

▫️Let Your Word be my delight and my comfort, so that I will not perish in this affliction (Psalm 119:92).

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Photo credit to double_k

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