A two part series on prayer and trust/faith, for evening services at Tabernacle Baptist Church, Ithaca

1. Psalm 4:1-8

2. • No matter which end of the day we are on,
our prayers have the same purpose
– whether something looming largely before us
– or whether evaluating the day’s events – failures,
attacks, losses
• We must cry out to our trustworthy God

3. • Jeremiah 23:1-6
– Evil shepherds scattered the sheep, drove them
away and did not attend to them (unrighteous)
– God will bring them back into the fold (righteous)
• They will be fruitful and multiply there
• They will be cared for again, safe and secure
– see also 1 Cor. 1:26-31

4. • Ephesians 4:26
– Being agitated and irritated often causes us to
respond sinfully
– In order to maintain righteousness, we need help
to settle our spirits
• I am angry about…
• Your grace is compensation for wrongs received
• I will unload my anger before sundown, so that I can
worship with my brother

5. • two “Selah Stars” as markers
• a 3 line verse at the beginning,
6 lines (3 verses) at the end
an amplification?

6. • answer, call,
• righteousness
• made room for me
• in distress,
• be gracious, hear prayer
• reproaching honor,
In a prayer • loving worthlessness,
psalm, it makes • aiming at deception
sense to high- • LORD,
• dealt wonderfully with,
light answers.
• godly man,
• hears, call

7. 4a.Be angry AND do-not- 6a.“Who will show us any
sin good?”
4b.Meditate in-hearts 6b.lift light of your
on-beds AND be still countenance, LORD
5.Offer right-sacrifices 7a.You have put more joy
AND trust in-the-LORD in my heart
… …
8a. In peace both I will 8b. LORD, make me dwell
bed down AND sleep in safety
In an evening prayer psalm, it makes sense
that Jehovah is seen as the giver of sleep, safety and rest

8.  Trust counts on God’s natural response
time after time as I have called, He has answered
His dependability allows me to respond righteously
and He graciously answers me every time

9.  Trust is tested by and proven in distress
our honor is not the most important result
our trust is not based on the worthless and
deceptive advice offered by the culture
instead, love and practice God’s truths in trouble

10.  Our trust in distress teaches others to trust
we are set apart for God, by God, to be godly
He always answers me, He will always answer you

11.  Trust is a function of self-control
it fights off selfish responses by self-counsel
the stillness comes from release of the outcome to
God’s action
it is active not passive

12.  Trust is an act of worship
it is right to kill the control and offer your future
back to God
trust is given to, not demanded by, God

13.  Trust has an optimistic view of the future
when nothing is going right, trust expects a turn
this optimism is fueled by a personal love of God
and a personal joy that comes from seeing Him act

14.  Trust has a contented view of the present
my current status is joyful
because I have been given a relationship with God
earthly excesses do not hold a candle to that

15.  Trust finds refreshment even in chaos
peace to rest and “shut down” is difficult in chaos
trust is an understanding of God’s unique nature
only when God is in charge of watching, can I sleep

16. Trust
Prayer
Worship