God our guide
When we discover a new hobby we often turn to mentors and teachers who can guide us: in person, from the page, or on a screen. A good teacher begins by gaining our trust. A good teacher meets us where we are and takes us where we want to go, one step at a time. Whether or not we excel, the mentor's experience will guide us to find enjoyment in our new hobby. Psalm 25 reflects the wonderful growth of the person who seeks God's help. The essential first step in the journey of prayer is trust, and that is how the psalm begins: "In you, Lord my God, I put my trust." Prayer is not solely a list of requests, or even thanksgiving, or confession, though all of those things are important aspects of prayer. Before all of these, prayer is, at its heart, bringing our lives to God, because all of life depends on God: "I trust in you". Having established this relationship of trust, the psalm next addresses the requests of the person at prayer. These initial requests are s...