1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
2 hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
and assail me in their anger.
4 My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.”
Reflection
When we’re facing a difficult situation, anxiety can feel like a storm raging inside us. Fear clouds our minds, and we can’t see the way out. In moments like these, we plead with God through tears, saying, “I can’t do this anymore. I just want out.”
The psalmist echoes our desperation in Psalm 55:6-8: “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”
Do you hear that longing? Can you feel it? the desire to escape is universal, but the key to enduring the storm is remembering that storms don’t last forever. They can’t last forever. Even the fiercest hurricane eventually runs out of power. The same God who created the winds and the waves set limits to their reach—and is in control of your storm, too.
So trust that you won’t always feel the kind of pain, hopelessness, or desperation you feel right now. In fact, if you can just hold on a few moments, you may find that 15 minutes from now, you can see the world a lot more clearly.
So what can we do while we wait for the storm to pass?
Breathe and pray.
Inhale deeply. Let that sensation remind you that God is closer than your next breath. Let prayer anchor you in God’s presence. And even if all you can manage is, “Lord, help me,” know that your Creator hears you.
As you hold on, trust this: God is your shelter. God is your refuge, the One who will bring you through this moment. And just as a clearing sky brings a new perspective, you may find that with each breath and each prayer, clarity and peace begin to take root in your soul.
by Joe Monahan
For Pondering and Prayer
If you are not familiar with a breathing practice already, you might find it helpful to try something called cyclic sighing. It’s a technique that’s been scientifically proven to help reduce anxiety. Check out this link to learn more. It really does work!
Prayer: God of the calm places and God of the storms, remind us that you are the Ruler over wind and waves. Settle the storms in our lives and in our hearts. Be our shelter and lead us into your perfect peace. Amen.
