Lift up Your Soul
"Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee." - Psalm 143:8

We talk about lifting up prayer requests, but this verse is about far more than lifting up an occasional request to God! God's Word does not teach us a particular pattern for a prayer life, as if something distinct in itself and separated from other pieces of our lives, but His Word teaches us a pattern for a life of prayer, a soul that knows nothing, but constant prayer to Jesus Christ. "His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life." (Psalm 42:8) Who is the God of your life? The song of a brilliant voice, yet lacking in heart, will leave no impact on those listening; and so too do our prayers often fail to impact the heart of God when He clearly sees our half-hearted and selfish motives pouring out. We ask Him to bless our labor for His Kingdom, yet He knows how often our thoughts and desires are focused only in our realm; He knows if we've truly lifted up our entire soul unto Him. Sometimes we become disheartened when we look back and see that our "labor" hasn't amounted to any eternal value and we ask, "Lord I just don't know where I'm going, why didn't You bless my prayers?"

Elijah prayed for God to raise a young man, before anyone had ever been resurrected (1 Kings 17:21)...he heard the "sound of abundance of rain" (1 Kings 18:41), before a single cloud had even appeared in the sky...do your prayers exhibit such faith in the Almighty? Such will be our lives when our souls are lifted up on high to Him! "Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." (Acts 16:25) In a lonely, sorrow-filled night, in their cold, dark, and wet prison cell, Paul and Silas knew they needed to lift up far more than a request to God...they needed to lift up their very souls. Yes, God wants to hear our requests, and He freely welcomes them (See Philippians 4:6), but the goal is much greater...lifting up the entire soul to the God of our life. Only then will God "cause me to know the way wherein I should walk".