The Cry Of The Righteous

If you are like me, and I believe that you are, somewhere during those four weeks you would reach the place where you would turn to that person and say, "No, I cannot help you, I have done everything I can do. I can do no more."

But, so we ask God for His help from morning till night.

Psalm 5 is considered to be a GOOD MORNING PSALM. David begins the day by asking for God's help. The background behind this psalm is that Absalom, David's own son, was the instigator in forming a rebellion against his father, and David had to flee for his life.

Absalom had been a blessed young man, but he blew every opportunity God gave him.

We are told in 2 Samuel 14:25, "But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him."

In this psalm, as David woke up to face another day, he asked the Lord for TWO things. He first asked the Lord for...

I. GOD'S ATTENTION

One of the greatest things that parents can do to help their children to be prepared for life is to teach them to pray.

Illus: Often when children face their difficulties their parents will ask, "Have you really thought about what you should do?" The question we should be asking is, "Have you prayed about what you should do?"

The reason many are making bad decisions today is not because they are not thinking about their decisions, but because they are not praying about their decisions.

David was a grown man with many problems, but someone had taught David how to pray his way out of, and through, trouble. Many of the problems he was facing were self-inflicted, nevertheless he knew how to PRAY his way out of them.

Notice TWO things about his prayer.

A. His boldness

Look at Psalm 5:1-3, "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."

David wanted God's undivided attention so he cried out, "Give ear to my words, O Lord..." David woke up and his whole world had caved in on him and he wanted God to listen to what he had to say!

Illus: Have you ever talked to people and the whole time you were talking to them, they were listening to you and to someone else at the same time. It is frustrating for us to talk to someone like that. Why? Because we feel what we have to say is important and they do not act like it is important enough to give it their full attention.

Illus: This is the frustration that most children feel. Their parents live in a fast-paced society. They are trying to make a living, and doing things that they like to do, and they do not take time to sit down and give the children the SPECIAL ATTENTION they NEED! The children grow up feeling they are not important. Then one day they get mixed up with the "wrong" crowd. Why? Because that crowd will take time to listen to them. Guess what direction the children's lives go then!

David was in serious trouble. He turned to his heavenly Father and said, "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation."

The Hebrew word that is translated here as "give ear," means "To broaden."

That is, David was asking God to cup His hand around His ear so that other voices were shut out and David's voice could be heard good.

David had lost his army, his power, prestige, and his throne and he wanted to make sure that he had God's attention because he knew that God could help him!

Illus: What David might not have considered was that all the children of God could get on their knees at one time and call on Him and He could hear each one of the prayers without any problem. How can God do that? He can do it by being everywhere and knowing all things and being all powerful all the time - BECAUSE HE IS GOD. He is not limited as we mortals are! If two people are talking to us we have to stop them and ask them to wait because we can only concentrate on one conversation at a time.

But, God is never overpowered by any kind of force, or pressure, that people can place on Him.

In verse 2 we read, "Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray."