Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you. Psalms 33:22
Here's a question that we might ask of this text. This last verse is a prayer requesting God to love us. Why do that when, over and over, God asserts, pledges and promises that He loves us and will love us? Why ask if it is already something that He does and will do? The first thought that comes to mind is that it must be right to make such a request. After all, it's in the Bible. So, just based on this verse it must be right to ask for what we already know God will provide. In fact, Jesus commands that we do this kind of asking. He told us to pray, 'Give us, this day, our daily bread'. So, we are to ask for things already promised.
That's fine, but there must be more to the answer for this question. Well, we don't make this kind of request because we doubt that He will continue to bless as He has. And it's not some sort of payment, as if God were requiring a certain ritual before He acts. No, asking like this is actually for our good. It's good for us to make such requests because doing so reminds us that we are so dependent on our Father. And it's good to be reminded of that. But at the same time making such a request leads us into remembering that our Father has already been faithful in loving us by providing for daily needs and all the rest. The request leads to thanks and praise. And that is so refreshing to us because is it another reminder that the God whom we worship is such a good God to us His children.