MODEL PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE (3)

“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer” – Psalm 4:1

King David contributed solidly to the Old Testament MODEL PRAYERS of THE BIBLE: “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer” (Psa.4:1). He wrote many hymns and psalms, about 73 of which are contained among the 150 books in the Book of Psalms. Many of his prayers were personal and highly emotional. They comprise a wide range of emotions and dispositions, from thanksgiving to forgiveness, petitions for protection and deliverance, and even anger. Let’s examine briefly few of David’s prayers.

David’s Prayer Concerning Anger and Peace of Mind (Psalm 4)

In this short psalm, David ​complained to God about the slanders made against him, and his desire for peace and refuge in God. There are profound lessons to learn from this. First, being angry is valid. Anger could be a legitimate emotional response to certain occurrences. It is okay to be angry. Jesus got angry too. In Matthew 21: 12-17 and John 2: 13-17, He overturned the tables of the people of Jerusalem who had turned God’s temple into a marketplace, thereby defiling the holiness of the temple courts. But His anger was holy because He was angry for God; angry at how they had dishonoured God. We could be angry, but not must sin. To act on anger tends to sin. James 1:19b-20 says, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” 

David addressed how at night the thoughts that trouble us, anger us, and can cause us distress: “Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still” (v.4). We should not normalize angry thoughts, but be cautious of them and search our hearts silently so that we may refocus on God rather than give the devil a foothold to tempt us into sinning (Eph.4:26-27). Despite the seeming prosperity of his enemies, David did not let anger overrule him. He knew that while those emotions were valid, they were not the truth (vv.3,7,8). God is the truth. Anger does not define our Identity and reality; only God does. David ended his prayer by asking God to fill him with gladness. His identity in God brought about peace, safety, and rest amidst distressing circumstances. This should be our Testimony in Christ!

David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving (Psalm 30).

Psalm 30 is one of the most comforting prayers in the Bible. We must learn to always thank God for Victory over our enemies – human or otherwise (v.1); and to depend on Him for healing (v.2). We must thank God daily for keeping us alive, because Life is a Gift from Him (v.3). We may not be facing the life-threatening situations David went through as seen in verse 9 but it always pleases God when we thank Him for preserving our lives to serve Him. Our praises must be bold and loud (v.12). Thanksgiving to God must become our lifestyle.

David's Prayer for Pardon and Confession of Sin (Psalm 51). This is a classic Prayer of Repentance that teaches us how to pray to restore fellowship when we sin against God.

David's Psalm of Surrender (Psalm 139). David struggled with God's intense knowledge of him, marveled at God's intricate formation of him in his mother's womb, and then prayed a Prayer of Surrender to God's searching, knowing, probing, and refining.

David's Prayer at the End of Life (1 Chronicles 29:9-20). This is short psalm of praise and prayer for his son Solomon to build the temple.

David cried out to the Lord in every area of his life, through every emotion, and found comfort in his God. Others of his many powerful prayers include: Wisdom and forgiveness (Psa.39); Help in trouble (Psa.43); Repentance (Psa.51); Safety from enemies (Psa.57); Favour (Psa.60); and Mercy (Psa.86). David, a man of like passions as we are, pleased God and found Rest and Peace in the place of Prayer.