4 You don’t let me sleep.
I am too distressed even to pray!
5 I think of the good old days,
long since ended,
6 when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
7 Has the Lord rejected me forever?
Will he never again be kind to me?
8 Is his unfailing love gone forever?
Have his promises permanently failed?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion? NLT
Imagine the burden the writer of this psalm feels in verse 4. What would this have been like? How would it have impacted his daily life? How would he be tempted to cope with this burden?
Describe the heartache of verses 5-6.
Look at verses 7-8. Why does the writer feel this way?
How could God let phrases like those in verse 9 be included in the Bible? What does this teach you about the authenticity of Scripture?
::::: EQUIPPING CHALLENGE :::::
Back in verse 1, the writer of this psalm indicated that he was praying “without holding back.” How do verses 4-9 fit into this? How does this set an example to us of how to pray? How could this passage of Scripture deepen your own prayer life?