I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. (Psa 18:1-3)
The Psalmist is delighted with God. Psalm 18 is a thanksgiving Psalm expressing gratitude for a blessing from God. God’s work on his behalf causes the psalmist to raise his voice in unabashed enthusiasm. He exclaims, “I love You, O Lord.”
Yet how does this this loving appreciation focus itself? The psalmist focuses on God’s character. In his opening verse he piles on metaphors and descriptions in his effort to express God’s goodness. He calls out, “Lord,” “my rock,” “my fortress,” “my deliverer,” “my God,” “my shield,” “horn of my salvation,” “my stronghold,” and the One “who is worthy to be praised.”
These multiple descriptions illustrate the psalmist’s enthusiastic attention to God in prayer. His admiration for God leads him to talk about His character.
Regrettably, Christians typically ignore the qualiti4es of God in their prayers. They may say something like, “Thank You for who You are,” but they never stop to talk much about just who God is.
Deep reflection on God’s character is not necessary for all prayers. But if our prayers regularly exclude reflection on God’s magnificent qualities, we miss the joy of discovering afresh the wonder of God.
In the midst of prayer, briefly recounting one of God’s outstanding attributes can move us to exchange the thoughts of this world for the contemplation of God’s glory.
– Richard Pratt, Pray With Your Eyes Open