How Long O Lord? – Psalm 13

Are you in a season of struggle right now, wondering how long it will last? Here’s an excellent prayer challenge that may seem a bit ridiculous at first. But if you persevere through it, and repeat the challenge every day until it feels less ridiculous, more raw and real, you will have a breakthrough moment with God. I know, because I experienced this exact process.

The challenge is to find a safe space, and say the verses of this Psalm out loud. Say them as if you are speaking them directly to God, as your personal prayer. Let your emotion connect with the words until it becomes naturally your prayer, and you are actually having a moment with God. Let your heart wander through the circumstances of your life to where these verses ring true for you, and pour your heart out to God as you say these verses out loud. You may speak with a normal voice, you may whisper, you may yell, you may get choked up. It’s all ok. Let it flow, and keep doing it until you hear back from God. If you’re not sure if you’ve heard from God, you haven’t, so keep going.

At first I felt the most ridiculous when I got to the verse, “How long will you hide your face from me?” I know that God is not hiding from me, that He’s always there, even when it doesn’t feel like it. The first time I prayed this directly to God, instead of just reading words on a page, I remembered the times when my son was a little boy, and he would gently touch my cheek with his hand and turn my face toward him to get my attention. This is what I felt like I was doing to God. It felt pretty direct and demanding, even bold and offensive for little ‘ole me to be so forceful with God. But He wants us to seek Him. I wanted my son to seek my attention and advice, and I’m glad that he did.

When I pushed past the silliness of this exercise that I’d challenged myself with, it turned into a raw emotional plea. The words transformed from verses in the Bible to my heart’s literal cry, and I began to connect with God. And I could feel His presence. And my wonderings about how long my sufferings would last turned into praise for His presence in the midst of the pain, just as it had done for David, the author of this psalm.

I encourage you to give it a try. It’s only six verses long. Write it down in your own handwriting. Make it your heart’s cry. Do it once a day, ten times a day, fifty times a day, or whatever variation you feel the need for or have the time for. There’s no wrong or right method. Just keep at it until the walls come tumbling down and you connect with God.

Would you share the results with me? Did you feel ridiculous? Did you connect with God? How else did you feel? What did you hear in your heart?

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, Lord my God.

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

and my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,’

and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing the Lord’s praise,

for he has been good to me.

Psalm 13