PRAISE AND INTERCESSION

Psalm 89 is one of those psalms that covers the whole gamut of faith and emotion. Maybe it captures the essence of praise and intercession better than any modern prayer.

Ethan the Ezrahite writes it, and he opens with exhuberant, faith-filled praise.
5 The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

Then he rehearses the unbreakable covenant relationship that God had with David.
35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
and I will not lie to David-
36 that his line will continue forever
and his throne endure before me like the sun;
37 it will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in the sky."
Selah

Suddenly he shifts mood to cry out to God that the blessed promises to Israel are not coming true.
38 But you have rejected, you have spurned,
you have been very angry with your anointed one. . . .
46 How long, O LORD ? Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire? . . .
49 O Lord, where is your former great love,
which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

Finally, he returns to praise.
52 Praise be to the LORD forever!
Amen and Amen.

How like Ethan I am! One second I am speaking God's praise, and in the next I don't believe a thing He says. A psalm like this one gives me permission to be human when I talk to God. Because reality tells me that life is a mix of good and bad, faith and doubt, yes and no, the present imperfect and the future perfect. I can just relax and say what's on my heart, as Ethan did.

"Thank You, LORD, that You accept me and my prayers just as we are, good, bad and ugly. I praise You and I doubt You, and You can sort through it all by the Holy Spirit's interpretations. Jesus, as Son of Man, maybe You even had those moments in the Garden. Hear my prayer, O Lord. Amen."