I Will Pray or Moaning and Complaining?

There is a song in the hymnal with the lines, "I will pray, I will pray, Unto thee I pray, Morning, Noon and Evening, Unto thee I pray". It has its basis in Psalms 55:17:

"Evening, and morning, and at noonday, will I complain, and moan; And he will hear my voice."
(Psalms 55:17 ASV)

In reading the American Standard Version (ASV) I have a moment of pause, not to mention a bit of a laugh. Complaining to the Lord is probably more futile than fruitful, and although it is a faithful translation of the text, it is better rendered as it is in the King James Version (KJV):

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice."
(Psalms 55:17 KJV)

The best thing to keep in mind is that a faithful servant (or in this instance servant and child of God) wants to communicate with the Father. The Father wants the child/servant to talk to Him as well. 

God is not our fairy God-mother (or father) who will grant our every whim, but He is a merciful God that listens, that hears our petitions, and answers according to what is best for us. 

And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 

(Romans 8:26-27 ASV)

The challenge is to change 'complaining' into a petition and not just a griping session. His children need to be respectful and loving in their petitions. 

"Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved. But thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in thee." (Psalms 55:22-23 ASV)

Hallelujah! What a Savior!