All these psalms begin as prayers. They are not psalms of praise but psalms of pleading for help. David often found himself in difficult situations and these psalms record his heart cries to God.
• In life a baby in infancy cries out to Mum or Dad for every little need, as it grows, it becomes more independent. By the time he/she is fully grown it rarely needs to cry out for help. In the spiritual realm, it is meant to be the complete opposite. The more we grow & mature, the more we are to realise our dependence upon God & cry to Him for every need.
David always cried to God for help, which is a characteristic, no doubt, that accounted for him being so close to the Lord.
Let’s learn some lessons from David in regard to Crying Out To God.
I. DAVID WAS REGULAR IN PRAYER (5:1-3)
A. David not only cried out when in distress.
B. This morning prayer time was a commitment: my voice shalt thou hear...
C. Morning is the best time for devotions because:
1. In keeping with the principle that God should have the first fruits.
2. Causes us to look up before we “lookout.”
3. Prepares our hearts and mind for the day.
4. We have not had the chance to sin & feel guilty.
Dear Lord,
Today, I have not sinned against thee.
I have not had any evil thoughts.
I have not overlooked anyone that needed my help.
I have not said an unkind word nor spoken a lie.
But Lord, in a few moments I am about to arise out of bed.
I need Your help for the rest of the day.
II. DAVID WAS SINCERE IN PRAYER
A. He knew that wilful sin would not be tolerated before God (5:4-6).
• He claimed to worship in fear (5:7).
B. He came humbly when chastised by God (6:1-2).
1. Sincere doesn’t mean sinless. But when sin was present it brought humility.
2. He did not charge God with injustice but pleaded for mercy (6:4).
C. He pleads his innocence and his uprightness of heart (7:3-5, 8-9).
D. His sincerity can be seen in his heartfelt exclamations:
1. “O Lord” and “O God.”
2. (6:4) “oh save me” (7:9) “Oh let the...”
E. His sincerity brought confidence that God heard his prayer (6:9).
III. HE USED ARGUMENTS IN MOST REQUESTS
A. Answer because of sincerity (5:7).
B. Retribution because of rebellion (5:10).
C. Favour for the righteous (5:12).
D. Physical healing because of imminent death (6:5)
1. OT saints placed great emphasis on the physical life. Therefore, death was viewed as an inability for praise (from the physical man).
2. And because of his grief (v. 6).
E. Deliverance because of the effect it would have on the people (7:7).
F. Upheld God as the judge of the righteous (7:11)
1. Do not view judge always in the negative sense for it is often used in the positive sense. To judge meant to come to judge the cause of, to be the champion of.
2. Thus, he pleads for judgment (7:8).
G. That punishment should come upon his enemies as a natural response flowing out of their evil deeds (5:10, 7:15-16).
Therefore, let us learn from David’s experience.
• David obtained much from God in answer to prayer.
• David who wrought great victories.
• David was called a man after God’s own heart.
What did David do?
1. He had a regular time of prayer each morning.
2. He prayed with sincerity.
3. He used it in arguments in prayer.
