Based on Psalm 30

When we are deep in prayer, we sense the closeness, the presence of God and we are not afraid. But deepening our prayer can take time and perseverance, being patient and focussed rather than distracted by the day to day. Is this something you learn, like a skill or competence? Or does it suddenly come upon you as a gift?

For me this deep sense of closeness with God is something precious but does not happen exactly when we want it to. Sometimes he gives us the quiet, the stillness, in which we can be with Him. Other times, our restless minds wander into lists of things and people we want to pray for and the lists become lengthy and sad, as we recognise the bad things going on in our world, and our apparent helplessness in the face of evil. Our intercessions can seem like this, long lists of the poor, the marginalised, the sick; and especially in this pandemic time, our prayers are haunted by the knowledge of death, poverty and severe illness caused by Covid.

It is a dark time, and sometimes we cannot find our way into His love.

That is when a Psalm, like today’s Psalm 30, can rescue us. It speaks of the mingling of despair and joy. It tells us there is hope, and reminds us that ‘weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes in the morning.’ The advice it offers is to praise. Not just to mourn but to sing and dance with God for the blessings he has given. It is at times of extreme sadness that the strange touch of a smile can make things bearable. It is also at times of extreme laughter and joy that we can feel a deep sorrow, understanding in that instant the fleeting, changing nature of our emotions. The sad-faced clown and the streak of sun in the winter cold show us how extraordinary is this life which God has created in us.

That brings to mind a loud and beautiful Gospel song which raises the spirits, it too is based on Psalm 30:

You turned my weakness into worship

You turned my pressure into praise

You turned my mourning into dancing

And I will bless your holy name

Sing it to any tune you fancy, it will turn into a hymn of praise and deepen our prayer.