You have to hand it to King David. So many times in the psalms, he doesn’t use any softly, softly approach when it comes to asking God for help. I have to say that’s a bit different from many of the prayers I’ve prayed over the years—and from some I’ve heard prayed aloud in public meetings at times.
‘Lord, we just ask you to heal her now, if that’s your will. But if it isn’t, please just show her what she needs to do to get better.’
‘Dear God, we invite you to be with us today. We welcome you to this place. We know you are here anyway, but please just be close to each one of us.’
Now I’ve discovered God is truly gracious and does hear and answer such prayers. Despite our slightly weird theology at times, God sees our hearts and knows what we need before we even ask (Matt 6:8). God isn’t confused by the words we use when we pray in public either. And David knew that, since in Psalm 139:4 we read: Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
But how refreshing it is to read those honest, gut-wrenching cries from David’s heart! Recently, I came across Psalm 35 again which begins:
Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me.
There I was, cheering David on as I read and thinking about how this prayer could apply to the challenges in my own life, when I was stopped dead by his words at the end of verse 3:
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
Hmmm … could David actually be telling God what to tell him in return? It’s as if he’s saying to God: ‘I think you said you’d save me. I was convinced of that—but now I’m not so sure. I want to know that deep down inside me, so please tell me it’s true.’ In The Message version, Peterson puts it this way:
Reassure me: let me hear you say, “I’ll save you.”
But I think there might be a bit more to it too, given David’s bold approach in the rest of the psalm. It’s as if David is calling God to account—as if he’s saying something like: ‘God, this is what you told me you’d do for me, but it doesn’t look like that’s happening. So if you tell me you’re my salvation, you’d better make good on your promise—because if you don’t, then you won’t have lived up to your name!’
What a challenge David is to me in the way he talks with God! And God doesn’t seem to have been offended, but rather sees David as ‘a man after his own heart’ (1 Sam 12:14). Surely it is that David understood God’s heart very well and, because of that, knew he could be completely honest and that God would not turn him away.
I want to pray big, fat, bold prayers like David did. I want to be a person after God’s own heart. Don’t you?
Hi Jo-Anne it’s so good to catch up with you again, I enjoyed your message and yes we can have confidence when we pray in the Spirit because we pray according to God’s will for us.
I hope you have now fully recovered from your Operation. I also have had a few Storms come my way, with Mum dieing, and my having to have a minor Opp too, catching a bad bug and two accidents on my Scooter but myself and others prayed boldly and God heard and answered in amazing ways but than He is Awesome and nothing is impossible for Him.
I think my favorite prayer of Davids is…
Psalm 51:10 -13 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me .Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the Joy of your Salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
We remember untill Pentecost there was not the indwelling of The Holy Spirit but He was working in the lives of Old Testament Saints like He does in ours and they had the promise of all we have and were covered by the Blood of Christ as we are till we are Born again and no longer have Adam’s seed but have God’s, meaning His new Nature.
1 John 3:9 No one who is Born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been Born of God.
I will be in touch soon – Christian Love from us both – Anne.
Hi Anne
So sorry to hear about your mother’s death and also your own operation, then your illness and also the accidents. Doesn’t sound as if it has been a good time for you recently at all, but it’s lovely to see that you know the Lord is still close to you and heard those prayers of yours.
Yes, I love David’s prayer in Ps 51 too–I love the Psalms all up and often start at the beginning again after I’ve read through them all once again. I love David’s honest heart in crying out to God in all sorts of ways but also his huge heart for worship. Won’t it be wonderful when we all meet up one day?!
God bless and bring much healing to you.
Jo-Anne