“But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.” (Psalm 13:5)
David began this prayer feeling forgotten by God. When feelings cloud your faith, it’s easy to believe God has turned away. David cried out, “How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1). But he didn’t stop there. As David continued to pray, his perspective shifted—from his feelings to God’s truth. He prayed his way into renewed hope and trust in the Lord. He prayed his way back to joy.
David’s situation didn’t change right away. He was still on the run, hiding from Saul in caves, even though God had anointed him king. This must have seemed confusing—how could this hardship possibly be God’s will? We often feel the same when life takes an unexpected turn. We’re taught to associate God’s blessing with comfort, but the Bible teaches that blessing sometimes comes through suffering. God often stretches us through difficult seasons to shape and mold us into His image.
David’s experience shows us that feelings may be honest, but they don’t always reflect the truth. As David kept praying, he moved from focusing on his emotions to trusting God’s reality. We see a similar shift in Psalm 73, where the psalmist struggled with why the wicked seemed to prosper. His frustration lingered until he entered God’s presence in prayer. His confusion turned to clarity as God revealed the bigger picture (Psalm 73:16-18).
God often seeks to change our perspective rather than our circumstances. He wants to free us from seeing through the lens of our feelings so we can see with eyes of faith. Prayer is the key to shifting our focus from emotions to truth. When we, like David, speak honestly with God, He responds with truth and grace. Grace doesn’t compromise truth—it strengthens us to embrace it.
So, when feelings cloud your faith, pray. God isn’t intimidated by our honest prayers. He invites us to bring our questions, fears, and doubts to Him. The key is to move beyond simply feeling our emotions to faithfully trusting His Word. When we stop listening to ourselves and start seeking God, our perspective changes—and with it, our joy, hope, and trust in the Lord are renewed. His grace will enable you with wisdom and strength to embrace truth.
