Growing Deeper in Prayer: How Psalm 13 Teaches Us to Lament, Ask, and Trust God’s Love (Livermore, CA)
Table of Contents:
Why God Wants a Deeper Prayer Life
Step 1: Learn to Lament
Step 2: Ask God to Open Your Eyes
Step 3: Move From Lament to Looking at God’s Love
A Simple Prayer to Go Deeper This Week
Imagine someone took your phone away, dropped you in the woods, and said, “You have one hour to pray—alone.” How would you feel? Excited? Nervous? Unsure what you’d even say after five minutes? That question isn’t meant to shame anyone—because short prayers can absolutely be powerful. But it does spotlight something God wants for all of us: not just prayers that are frequent, but prayers that are deep.
At Arroyo Church here in Livermore, CA, we talk a lot about growing—growing deeper in the Word, growing deeper in community, and growing deeper in prayer. Because the purpose of your life isn’t merely to be “religious.” The purpose of your life is a personal relationship with Jesus—and one of the primary ways we step into that relationship is through prayer.
Psalm 13 gives us a picture of deep prayer. It’s raw, honest, and real. And it offers three steps that can move your prayer life from shallow to rooted—like a tree that can withstand life’s storms.
Why God Wants a Deeper Prayer LifeA shallow faith is easy to uproot. A deeper faith gets anchored. And prayer is one of the main ways our faith grows roots. Deep prayer doesn’t mean fancy words. It doesn’t mean you have to start every prayer with a polished script. In fact, Psalm 13 starts with the kind of words many of us hesitate to pray out loud: “How long, Lord?”That honesty matters—especially in the Bay Area, where many people live in what can feel like a spiritual desert. But God is forming Arroyo Church to be a river in the spiritual desert—a place where real people can bring real pain to a real Savior.Step 1: Learn to LamentPsalm 13 begins with lament:“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?… How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1–2)Lament isn’t just complaining. Lament is honestly expressing your pain to God. Scholars often note that a significant portion of the Psalms are laments—because life is tough, storms are real, and suffering is part of the human story.Here’s the surprising truth: lament is not irreverent. It’s relational. If you want a deep relationship with the Lord, you have to be honest with Him. God isn’t looking for a fake relationship filled with religious lines and happy masks. He wants the real you.Think about the healthiest human relationships you have. You’re honest with the people you’re closest to. You don’t share your deepest burdens with a stranger you just met in a checkout line. In the same way, a lack of lament often reveals a lack of depth. If we never bring our real pain to God, are we actually close to Him—or just performing?When should you lament? Psalm 13 gives four examples through David’s questions:
When you feel forgotten by God: “Will you forget me forever?”
When you feel far from God: “How long will you hide your face from me?”
When anxiety or depression is heavy: “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts… and have sorrow in my heart?”
When you’re dealing with conflict or attack: “How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
Lament doesn’t always remove the problem—but it can change your perspective. It’s the moment you say, “God, this burden is crushing me. I can’t carry it. I’m bringing it to You.” And that’s often where peace begins.Step 2: Ask God to Open Your EyesAfter lamenting, David shifts from questioning to asking:“Look on me and answer… Give light to my eyes…” (Psalm 13:3–4)In other words: “God, help me see.” Trials can cloud our vision. Pain can create spiritual fog. Here in the Bay Area, we understand fog—it can roll in so thick you can’t even see what’s right in front of you. But fog doesn’t erase reality. When fog covers the sun, the sun still exists. When suffering clouds your view of God, His promises still remain true—even if you can’t feel them.This is where a powerful prayer comes in: “God, open my eyes.” Scripture echoes this idea. Paul prays in Ephesians that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” so you can know hope (Ephesians 1:18). When God “gives light,” we don’t just see our circumstances—we see our Savior in our circumstances.And what does God want you to see? Hope. Biblical hope isn’t wishful thinking; it’s a confident expectation of a better future. For the Christian, that hope is anchored in Jesus—His death and resurrection, the forgiveness of sins, and the promise of eternity with Him. It’s the hope of heaven: a future where tears are wiped away, and death, depression, and disease do not get the final word.Sometimes the reason we’re not experiencing that hope isn’t because God is withholding—it’s because we’re not asking. Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9–13). This isn’t a blank check for “anything I want.” It’s an invitation to ask for what aligns with God’s will—like wisdom, endurance, peace, and the Holy Spirit’s work in us.If you’re in a season where you can’t see clearly, try praying something simple and bold:“Lord, give light to my eyes. Open my eyes to see You again.”Step 3: Move From Lament to Looking at God’s LovePsalm 13 ends with a turn:“But I trust in your unfailing love… My heart rejoices in your salvation.” (Psalm 13:5–6)Lament is a starting point, not an ending point. If we only lament, we can get stuck staring at the storm. Deep faith laments—and then looks up.What does it look like to look at God’s love?
Trust His unfailing love.Feelings are real, but they’re not reliable. There will be days you feel like God isn’t near. But His love doesn’t rise and fall with your emotions. Scripture says His compassions “never fail… they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23). People’s love can fail. God’s love does not.Sometimes the most honest prayer is:“Lord, I believe—help my unbelief. Help me trust Your love when I can’t feel it.”
Rejoice in His salvation.Christian joy is different than the world’s joy. The world’s joy depends on circumstances. But the joy of the Christian is rooted in what Jesus has already done. Titus reminds us: God “saved us—not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:3–5). Saved isn’t future tense. It’s finished. In Christ, you’re forgiven. You belong. You have hope that cannot be taken from you.
And because of Jesus, prayer isn’t restricted access. You’re not approaching a throne of judgment—you’re approaching a throne of grace. Hebrews says we can approach with confidence to receive mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).A Simple Prayer to Go Deeper This WeekIf you want to practice these three steps, try this flow sometime this week—maybe on a walk, in your car, or yes… even alone without distractions:
Lament: “God, here’s what hurts. Here’s what I’m afraid of. Here’s what I don’t understand.”
Ask: “Lord, give light to my eyes. Help me see You and the hope You’ve promised.”
Look: “Jesus, I trust Your unfailing love. I rejoice in Your salvation. You have been good to me.”
If you’re new to faith—or you feel far from God—this can be your starting point. And if you’re ready to take a next step with a church family in Livermore, we’d love to meet you this Sunday. You can learn more about who we are at About Arroyo Church or plan your visit at Plan Your Visit.
Deep prayer isn’t about having the right “Christian” lines. It’s about a real relationship with a real Father. Psalm 13 teaches us that depth often grows through honesty: lament what’s true, ask God for light, and then lift your eyes to His unfailing love and saving grace.
In a region that can feel spiritually dry, Jesus is still forming living rivers—people who can suffer honestly, hope confidently, and pray boldly. Wherever you are today, don’t wait. Go to the throne of grace today. He’s listening—and He loves you.