Wise Words To Pray

Wise Words to Pray

Psalm 139:1-24

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - Feb. 5, 2012

*Do you want a better prayer life? -- I’m sure all of us would say, “Yes!”

*Well this Psalm can help us, because it was written by a man after God’s own heart. David had a wonderful prayer life, and he shows us some of the best things we can say to the Lord: Wise words to pray.

1. First we should tell the Lord, “You completely comprehend me.”

*This is what David was saying to the Lord in vs. 1-6: “You completely comprehend me.” Of course, God is omniscient. He knows everything about everything.

*Just consider the stars. Richard Wimer tells us that if you hold your thumb at arm’s length toward the sky, your thumb nail is covering up more than 250,000 galaxies in space! And every one of those galaxies holds 100 to 200 billion stars! (1)

*But Isaiah 40:26 in the New Living Translation says: “Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away.”

*I forget people’s names every other day, but God knows all of the stars by name! -- He knows everything about everything.

*But David brings the Lord’s knowledge home in vs. 1-6. It’s one thing to say that God knows everything. But we take our focus to a new dimension when we say, “Lord, You know everything about ME.”

*In vs. 1&2, Lord, You know my travels and my thoughts:

1. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

2. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

*In vs. 3&4, Lord, You know my ways and my words:

3. You comprehend my path (The word picture here for “comprehend” is like separating wheat from chaff.) and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

4. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

*Lord, You know my travels, my thoughts, my ways and my words. Then in vs. 5&6, You know me better than I know myself!

5. You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.

*One of the best things we can say to God is, “Lord, You comprehend me completely.”

2. But also tell Him this: “Lord, You are always near to guide and to guard me.”

*This is what David told the Lord in vs. 7-12: “Lord, You are always near to guide and to guard me. Nothing can take me away from You!”

*James Merritt explained it something like this:

[1] In vs. 7&8, death cannot take you away from the presence of God. So David asked:

7. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8. If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

[2] Death cannot take you away from the presence of God. -- In vs. 9&10, neither can distance.

9. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10. Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

*In other words, -“No matter where I go, Your hand is there to guide me, Lord. And your strong right hand is there to guard me.”

[3] Distance cannot take you away from the presence of God. -- And in vs. 11&12, neither can darkness.

11. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’’ Even the night shall be light about me;

12. Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

*If you turn out the lights, God can see you as if it were twelve o’clock noon.

-He doesn’t need night vision goggles to see in the dark.

-He doesn’t need sunglasses to see in the light.

*Nothing can hide you or take you from the presence of God, so we can tell Him: “Lord, You are always near to guide and to guard me.” (2)

*Herman Gockel told of a lady, who was very nervously waiting to go into surgery. A nurse standing nearby noticed her look of concern and gently asked her if she was a Christian.

*The sick lady replied, “Why, yes. Why do you ask?”

*The nurse explained, “Well, I noticed how worried you look, but you know you have nothing to fear. Just remember what it says in the Psalm, ‘If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.’