Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The Desert Song

I desire this song to be my heart's prayer
and I know it hasn't been.  
It is downright hard to praise You in the desert
when I feel dry and discouraged.  


It's easy to praise You on the mountaintops, 
but in every season?  I long to, I do.


For the joy of my salvation to be restored. (Psalm 51:12)
Just to be filled to be emptied again?  It's exhausting, God.  And it hurts.


I keep meeting with my small group girls because they ask to come over or meet for coffee, but how can this go on while I feel like I have nothing to give? 

How can the weak lead the strong?

We sang The Desert Song by Hillsong United Sunday morning for the first time and it grabs me.


Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow
****

Much of what I am studying to share at our college group or with my after school Bible Study has been speaking to me in my own predicaments.


If God already knows my heart and my words before they're on my tongue, what difference does prayer make? (our college group is going through Yancey's book on prayer.)

And this verse stuck out to me in the book (Girl Talk with God) I'm starting this afternoon with some high school girls.  1 Peter 1:7-8 These trials have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.


And this verse at the top of a friend's blog:
1 Corinthians 7:17 And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there.

You are still God, just like the song says.

3 comments:

Amy Wolff said...

Oh El. I understand. Very well...

Read the middle part of this wiki article. It was interesting, even meaningful, for me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul

Haley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Haley said...

I was just trying to figure out the name of this song! I absolutely LOVED it during church and it really got to me, and I could not remember what Ty had said the name of it was. Thank you so much for posting this! So much truth and I will be praying for you!