Petition of Desperation

Scripture:
With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
With my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
Psalm 142:1-2
Context:
This is a prayer of petition to God. The fact that the psalmist feels free to cry out to God, and to extol Him for being his protector shows that he trusts God will answer his petition of prayer. In Exodus when God sends Moses to retrieve the Israelites from Egypt He tells Moses that He has heard their prayers. God’s people can cry out to God, and God hears their prayers.
All to often God has to bring low His people in order for them to see the need to place their utmost trust in Him. Whenever His people get comfortable they start to forget to pray and start operating out of their own strength, and that always leads to a precarious situation for them, ranging from slavery and exile, to genocide and persecution.
David's life is in constant jeopardy at the hands of his enemies. David is continually brought to a place where he calls out to God to save him. The cool thing is that as sure as David calls on God, God hears his prayers and responds. The response is not always the response David desired but his continually petition shows his trust nonetheless.
Reflection:
God hears the prayers of His people and will always respond.
Application:
How low does God have to bring me before I will call out to Him? Do I have to be in dire desperation or will I desire to extol Him regardless of my circumstances. I need to constantly pray, I need to be in continual communication with God. God knows my needs, He does not need to hear me petition Him in order to be able to respond, but my petition shows me that I need God, and that I have placed my trust in Him. It is these times of utter desperation that force me into this realization.
Prayer:
Lord, sorry for my circumstantial prayer life. Thank you for hearing my petitions, thank you for being my refuge, thank you for responding. Lord I know that you are my savior and in you alone I need to place my trust. Amen…
Sanctifying Statement:
I cry, God Listens!