Prayer

Prayer

The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord protects me from danger—so why should I tremble?

Psalm 27:1

One summer we took a family vacation to the Colorado Rocky Mountains. We spent an adventure-packed week surrounded by the spectacular Collegian Peaks, all of which were fourteen thousand or more feet. They towered above our A-frame cabin.

In the middle of the week, we decided to rent a four-wheel drive jeep to get into the back country. As we approached a rocky peak called “Tin Cup Pass” well above the timberline, we shut down the jeep to enjoy the quiet view. You can imagine our consternation when, after trying to restart the engine, we discovered that it not only wouldn’t start, but the battery was quickly losing life. We were six miles from a ghost town, and we had a limited amount of food, water, and daylight. It was a frightening moment.

David, the writer of Psalm 27, faced many of his own harrowing “mountaintop experiences.” Chased by jealous King Saul, David spent many of his early years as a leader running from one rocky mountain to the next, trying to stay one step ahead of his enemy.

Life feels like that sometimes. But David reminds us that the Lord is our light and salvation—so why should we fear? David found in the very rocks a picture of God. In Psalm 18:2 he says, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior . . . in whom I find protection.” We too can claim God’s promise that he will provide for us whether it is light or dark. The Lord will supply all our needs, regardless of how high our feelings of anxiety or insecurity may rise.

There as a family on top of the mountain, we took one another’s hands, reminded ourselves of God’s faithfulness, and prayed for the Lord to protect us and help us get down the mountain. When we decided to try to start the jeep one last time, you can imagine our joy when the engine sprang back to life!

Sovereign Lord,

Thank you that no matter where we are, you are there with us, defending and protecting us. In the name of Jesus, amen.