Prayer for a Quiet and Composed Soul: Psalm 115-Supplication through the Scriptures

Prayer for a Quiet and Composed Soul

Psalm 115

We set ourselves to believe in the overruling goodness, providence, and sovereignty of God and refuse to turn aside no matter what may come, no matter how we feel.
Margaret Clarkson

    Psalm 115 calls for Israel to place their confidence and trust in the Lord alone. Repetition in the Scriptures is important, and here in Psalm 115 the psalmist pleads three times in a row, “trust in the Lord! He is their help and shield” (Psalm 115:9-11). Following this repetition of trust, the psalmist tells them, again in a repeated way, that the Lord will bless them (115:12-13). It is believed that this psalm was written for the time of battle. The psalmist gives words of encouragement for those facing their adversaries. His aim is that the Lord receive the glory (15:1). He reminds the people and us that the Lord is the maker of the heavens and earth, and He does as He pleases. Their enemies have gods, but their gods cannot speak, or hear, or feel, or walk. They can do nothing. But that is not our God. Our God can be trusted. He is our help and shield in the battle. He will bless us. Will we choose to trust?

    “Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of  the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us” (Jerry Bridges). First, Trust is not a “passive state of mind.” In our difficulties, it is so easy to let our minds race from one anxiety to the next. It’s easy to be distracted with many thoughts, and yet when we just allow our minds to continue down those paths, we are entering a passive state of mind. We’re allowing ourselves to be led along by our own worries instead of taking those thoughts captive. Next, trust is a “vigorous act of the soul.” Vigorous implies hard work and effort, involving strength and force. Physical, emotional, and spiritual weariness can make it hard to make a vigorous effort to place our trust in the Lord, but He will give us the strength to continue to fight the good fight of faith and supply what we need. The results of trusting the Lord are worth the effort we must apply. Next, trust is a choice. Trust chooses to believe God independent of our feelings. We choose to take God at His word and we choose to set aside those things which give rise to doubt and distrust. Finally, trust lays hold of God’s promises and clings to them. Despite whatever is happening in our lives, and the circumstances that are very difficult, in trust, we choose to come to God’s Word, believe His promises, and hold tightly to them as we walk a hard road. This may mean that we memorize a passage of scripture and speak it out loud when we’re noticing that our mind is starting to go down the road of doubt. It may mean writing out a prayer applying His Word directly to our situation. It could mean listening on repeat to that song that reminds you of the truth. Clinging to His promises means that contrary to what our eyes see, we believe by faith that He is working, He is there with us, He is bringing good from the mess of our lives. Trusting God leads to peace.

    When we choose to trust God, we are rejecting the temptation to give in and we are choosing to set our mind upon truth. Psalm 131:2 says, “Surely I have composed and quieted my soul.” This is what trust looks like. We compose ourselves. We control our feelings and thoughts by intentionally setting our minds on Him. “I have set the Lord continually before me, because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8). The psalmist set the Lord before him and he was not shaken. He was composed. Composed and quieted go hand in hand. When the psalmist says he “quieted” his soul, he is talking about a stillness in his soul, an “absence of emotional distress and churning.” It is the ability to relax and be still internally. It is to have peace. “Peace and rest do not belong to the unregenerate, they are the peculiar possession of the Lord’s people, and of them only. The God of Peace gives perfect peace to those whose hearts are stayed upon Him” (Spurgeon).  Jehovah Shalom gives His perfect peace to those whose hearts are stayed on Him, trusting in Him, composed in Him. Isaiah 30:15 reminds us, “In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.” This is our hope and aim today: a composed soul, quietly trusting our Sovereign Father. We will have to vigorously fight for it. The Enemy outside and the enemy within would have us be frightened, despairing, weary, or bitter. But we must not lose heart, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary (Galatians 6:9). Our God will supply all we need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). 

Let’s pray through Psalm 115 for a quiet and composed soul that trusts in God.

“And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭32‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭

 

To Your name give glory

115:1-3 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. 

Lord, I pray:
▫️In this situation I am, I would bring glory to Your name as I trust You and quiet my soul in Your care. Thank You for Your steadfast love and faithfulness that is upholding me today.
▫️You are in the heavens and You do all that You please. Strengthen my resolve and my resiliency to believe in Your overruling goodness, providence, and sovereignty and help me refuse to turn aside no matter what may come, no matter how I may feel. Bring to my mind the truth to counter the way I feel in my overwhelmed moments.
▫️Though at times it feels as though I cannot find You and times when I cannot see You working, help me to have confidence in Your steadfast love and faithfulness to me. I will gird my mind with Your truth and not be passively accepting whatever thoughts or feelings I am experiencing. Help me to treasure Your words more than my necessary food (Job 23:12). 

Do not trust in idols

115:4-8 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. 

Lord, I pray:
▫️When I am tempted to trust in other things for comfort, help, or direction, help me to see and turn from that and trust and rest in You alone. Help me to use the means You have provided for my help, but not to place my confidence in those things. 
▫️Send help to me from Your sanctuary and give me Your support from Zion (Psalm 20:2). 
▫️My help is from You. I turn my eyes to You. You will keep me. You will hide me in the shelter of Your wings. You are my refuge and strength, my very present help in this time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). 

Trust in the Lord!

115:9-15 O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 

Lord, I pray:
▫️I would trust You. I would not have a passive state of mind, but rather I would vigorously choose to lay hold on Your promises and cling to them despite the adversity that seems to overwhelm me. 
▫️You would keep me in perfect peace because I am trusting in You. You would give me a steadfast heart and mind. 
▫️Today, as I am confronted with trouble in my circumstances or my mind, You would be my help and my shield. You would bring me aid, comfort, strength, hope, and joy to sustain and uphold me in ______. Surround me with Your songs of deliverance. Whenever I am afraid today, I will trust in You.
▫️You will bless Your people. I can be deeply happy and blessed because I have been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Your beloved Son. I am Your child and You promise to never leave me nor forsake me. 

We will bless the Lord

115:16-18 The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!

Lord, I pray:
▫️ “Give us Your own peace. We ask not for the taking away all care out of our life—but for so much of the power of Your own life in is that, come what may, our souls shall be quiet in You. As we learn of You, may we find rest for our souls” (Streams in the Desert app). 
▫️For You I wait in silence; from You will come my salvation (Psalm 62:1). Help me when I’m feeling stirred up inside to remember that You rule in all the earth and nothing can stop Your purposes in my life. Let Your sovereignty lead me to quietness and trust within my heart and mind. Give me Your calm and help me to not be fearful or fainthearted. 
▫️Speak peace to me today (Psalm 85:8). You are the God of peace and I trust You to give me Your peace in every circumstance (2Thessalonians 3:16). You have loved me and given me eternal comfort and good hope by Your grace. Comfort and strengthen my heart today to carry out Your good work and live out Your word so that I can bring honor and glory and praise to Your name.

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

‭‭Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.

‭‭
Photo credit to greg_rosenke.

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