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A Model Prayer of David
Scripture: Psalm 86
Psalm 86 is a heartfelt cry of a man in a desperate situation of God whom he knew very well.
It is called as the prayer of David.
David was known as a man after God’s own heart but he had great needs in his life that drew him often to a great God who could alone deliver him.
Our great needs should draw us to pray to a great God who alone can deliver us.
This particular Psalm can be divided into 4 parts from which we can learn the lessons on prayer.
Vs. 1-7: Great need for God to hear and act on his behalf
Vs. 8-10: Deliberate statement of praise
Vs. 11-13: Teach me your ways and give me an undivided heart
Vs. 14-17: David prays to be rescued from his enemies
From this Psalm, we are going to study, Why, whom, how and what should we pray.
WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?
Because we have great needs. Ps 86:1, 16
We are all poor and needy. And we cannot save ourselves.
Vs. 7, 17 (distress, arrogant men are attaching)
When we are faced with distress in our lives, the first thing we need to do is to pray
Many times, prayer is the last resort, when everything fails we pray
But prayer should be the first resort of our life.
The classic ex. is Hezekiah, when he received the threat letter from Sennacherib, he took that letter to the temple of the Lord and spread it before God.
What is bothering you these days, before discussing the issue with anyone, first and foremost spread it before the Lord.
Many don’t pray because they don’t feel the need to be delivered, ask the Lord to open up your eyes to your needs and begin to pray.
WHOM SHOULD WE PRAY TO?
True God who does great and marvelous deeds. Vs 8-10
Before praying or asking help from someone you need to be sure who they are and how they will help you.
Knowing God is very important before you begin to pray.
David says in vs. 5, 15
God is forgiving and good, abounding in love; God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. Here, he is quoting Ex 34:6,7. This is the way God introduced himself to Moses.
What is your need this morning? God is here waiting to meet your need not because of who you are but because of who He is. Vs.2
When we go through tough times this is a very difficult verse to confess. When you are going through severe pain, it’s very difficult to understand how such a wonderful God can allow all this in our life.
But then this truth should sink not just in our minds but our hearts as well.
We do not deserve anything from God. A proud man thinks he deserves this and that because of the way he lives his life, but whatever we are today is only the mercy of God.
By mercy He does not treat us like the way our sins deserve, and by grace he gives us blessings that we don’t deserve.
God’s love is abundant upon our lives. He is abounding in love, that is why we need to pray to Him again and again and grow in our love relationship.
Have an experiential knowledge of God and not just a head knowledge.
David had tasted God time and again in his life and he knew that God is faithful.
He says taste and see that the lord is good for he tastes like honey in the rock
HOW SHOULD WE PRAY?
Earnestly, continually, thankfully, in humility and in faith.
Earnestly. Vs. 14
Arrogant foes are attaching men, a band of ruthless people seek my life
David is earnestly/ seriously seeking God ‘s help in delivering him from the ruthless people who are seeking his life.
That was an urgency in his prayer
God, unless you show up I’m dead.
He cried out to God from his heart to rescue him from the enemies.
It was more than a liturgy
Those who go through the motions of prayer with formality are less likely to be heard than those who cry out to God from their heart.
John Hyde (Praying Hyde) who came to India as a missionary was very passionate about souls. If you stood outside his tent you would hear God, Oh God, Oh God with lot of emotion and tears and God heard his prayer and saved many souls.
Continually. Vs. 3
Have mercy on me God for I call to you all day long…
1 Thess 5:17, Pray without ceasing
How to pray continually? Last week we heard the prayer life of Jesus, he would often slip away to be with his father, day or night.
Jesus and Paul were lonely place specialists, they would withdraw themselves often from the bust ministry and spend time with the Lord.
Keep coming back to prayer over and over again.
Thankfully. Vs.12
I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
The devil cannot reside in a thankful heart.
1 Thess 5:18, in everything give thanks. Phil 4:8 says (NLT), 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Thank Him for all He has done.
Thank him in the morning, thank him in the noon time and thank him when the sun goes down.
In humility. Vs. 3, 6, 16
Through this Psalm you can see the humility of David.
He doesn’t say just because he is the chosen king, God is obligated to hear him.
But he says, God have mercy on me….
Vs. 2 he calls himself as a servant and not king.
He admits his need for God and says how vulnerable he is
Kings are supposed to be people of strength and not admit their weakness in pen. They were supposed to defend the people, but here David is open before the Lord about his situation and prays for God’s mercy in his life.
A humble man will always be heard.
In faith. Vs. 2, 7, 17
Save your servant who trusts in you
I call on you because you answer me
You God have helped me and comforted me.
David had an experiential knowledge of God.
He had tasted God all his life from his childhood.
Faith comes when we know what God has done for us in the past. If he did it then, he will do it again, for he is a faithful God.
Faith is not just to close your eyes and walk in the dark, but it is trusting in the character and the promises of God.
No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
WHAT SHOULD WE PRAY FOR?
Salvation. Vs 2, 16
To be delivered from our enemies.
To be saved from the future judgment. Mt 1:21; Luke 19:10
This is the main need of all mankind.
Pray for the perishing souls.
Joy in trials. V4. 4
Bring joy to your servant who trusts in you.
Our attitude when we go through the trials is very important
We can be mad at God and at others or we can be joyful in spite of our trials and trust God for deliverance.
Teachable and an undivided heart. Vs.11
Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Most of us pray for deliverance from our problems but David says, Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Through every trial we need to ask the Lord to teach us to rely on Him and Him alone and to have an undivided heart that fears his name.
Many people who once professed their faith in Christ desert him when they face trials of various kinds.
They are just fair-weather friends. They will not taste the depths of God’s love. They are the ones who seek only his hand and not his face.
But David prays, Teach me to rely on you and give me a undivided heart to fear your name.
That should also be our prayer, in spite of delay answer to our prayers we need to have an undivided heart that fears the name of the Lord.
God’s glory and supremacy over all. Vs. 9, 12
All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.
I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
The ultimate purpose of our answered prayer is that the name of the Lord will be glorified.
Psalm 50:15 says, Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”
In all our troubles, we should be looking for ways to glorify God.
May the Lord help all of us to pray like David and get closer to him.
God bless you.
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