When David was singing to God, he wasn’t always praying in praise. Sometimes he was distraught and angry, sending his complaints through his prayers. In Psalm 104, also known as a “Psalm of Lament”, David starts out by telling his Father exactly how he feels. God, of course, already knows this. He made David, and he knew David’s heart. When the Lord listened to David’s cry of concern over his absence, I am sure he wept. I am sure he never flinched when David accused him of being silent during his sin.

When the Lord listened to David’s cry of concern over his absence, I am sure he wept. I am sure he never flinched when David accused him of being silent during his sin.
God is never silent during our sin- we choose not to listen to him, but He is never silent. From the whitest lie to the deepest darkest pit, He knows our hearts and what we need. We must ask for him. We must listen when that still small voice calls us to stop, we must act when we are convicted in our gut to step forward and do the “right” thing. We always have a God who cares for us and loves us so much we cannot fathom it. Yet time and time again we consider him silent and take refuge in our heartache. We believe he is silent, when in fact, he is here holding and guiding us through it all.
At the end of Psalm 104, David takes a moment to praise his father for he knows what the truth is. His complaints are heard, and he isn’t being like a whiny child about it all. Maybe that is the difference. When we speak to the Lord in prayer or song, do we sound like the whiny child or the faithful servant who just needs to be heard? Do we come to our father with the intent of blaming him for our circumstance, or with the intent of asking for his guidance and blessing?
Complaints to God are not something we are expected to take lightly. He is the ultimate complaint department. He listens every time, and he really doesn’t interrupt. He created you, after all, so he already sees it coming. He is sitting on his throne waiting for you to ask him for what you need. Declaring is not enough, we must ask. Asking is key. And sharing our hearts with our Father is vital to moving forward to the next part of his plan for our life.