A Hebrew Prayer for when you are Frustrated—Psalm 25:4
Praying with Scripture
English
Make me to know your ways,
O Lord; teach me your paths.
Hebrew
Transliteration
Děrakeka Adonai hoodi’ěni
Orkuteka lam’meděni
Context of Prayer
Psalm 25 isn’t a quiet, private prayer. It’s a scene filled with tension, where the psalmist isn’t alone. There’s an audience—his enemies—watching and waiting to see what happens. The psalmist waits for God to respond, while his enemies wait to see him fail. If God stays silent, it won’t just be disappointment; it’ll be disgrace. Amid humiliation, the psalmist prays for the wisdom to act correctly. While in most psalms the poets ask for wrath toward the enemies, this poet asks for wisdom.
How to use Prayer
It's unlikely that this poem was written in front of a crowd, but it reads as if it were. Most of us aren't writing psalms in front of a crowd, but don't we all feel like we've got an audience watching our struggles? Our private battles feel like they're playing out on a stage, and how we handle them – that's the public part. The Lord's wisdom isn't just for our private piety and personal holiness, but specifically for how we respond to the world, especially when it affects us negatively. Use this prayer when someone gets under your skin, when you're angry or annoyed and your impulse is to react harshly. Use this prayer when life's frustrations rise up - when someone gets under your skin, when anger builds, when you're tempted to react harshly.Your response matters more than their provocation.
A Liturgy
Here is a liturgy you can try with this Hebrew prayer:
Say: Děrakeka Adonai hoodi’ěni
Do: Breathe in, breathe out. Let the anger, frustration, and annoyance flow away with each breath. Picture these negative feelings as heavy bags you're gripping tightly - their weight preventing you from receiving God's gift of wisdom. Release your hold. To receive God's wisdom, you need both hands free.
Say: Orkuteka lam’meděn
Do: Breathe in, breathe out. Release the judgments and negative thoughts with each breath. Letting go isn't just about our feelings - we must also free ourselves from harsh thoughts about others.
Say: Make me wise, Lord.
—Pastor Alex Portillo
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