Shew me thy ways
“Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”Psalm 25:4-5
Reflection
Notice what David asks for in this psalm. Not money, not victory over enemies, not an immediate solution. He asks for direction: "Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me". The verb "teach" appears twice. Whoever prays like this takes the position of a student, not of God's advisor. Often our prayer is a report of what we have planned, along with a request for a signature. David's prayer does the opposite: it hands over the agenda and asks which way to go.
Notice also the pronoun: "thy ways", not "my ways". David does not just want God to bless his plan; he wants to learn to walk in God's way. And he wants to be led "in thy truth". Truth is not only correct information, it is the very ground on which we walk safely. Someone walking in another direction may cover a lot of distance, but is hurrying toward the wrong place. Being led in truth means having a compass, not only speed.
And what is the basis of such confidence? "for thou art the God of my salvation". David argues from who God is: if He is the God who saves me, He will not leave me lost on the road. The One who reached us in our greatest need does not abandon us in the smaller ones. And the verse ends with a lovely image: "on thee do I wait all the day". It is not only the waiting of a prayer hour in the morning, it is an attitude of expectancy that crosses the whole day, between meetings, tasks and quick decisions.
You can turn this verse into the prayer that opens your day. And carry it with you. Facing work, a hard conversation, the unexpected, ask: "Lord, what do You want to teach me in this?". That way the ordinary day becomes a classroom, and each problem stops being only an obstacle and becomes a place where He guides us. God does not hide from those who want to learn: He delights to teach those who wait on Him all the day.
Prayer
Lord, teach me Your ways. I do not just want Your signature on my plans, I want to walk where You walk. Lead me in Your truth, and make me attentive to You all day long, in big things and small. You are the God of my salvation, and it is on You that I wait. Amen.
Put it into practice
Pray this psalm when you wake up and choose a moment in the day (a meeting, a commute, a conversation) in which you will deliberately ask: "Lord, what do You want to teach me in this?". In the evening, write down what you noticed.
To reflect on
Have you been bringing God your plans for Him to bless them, or coming ready to learn which way He wants you to walk?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).