When David Prayed in the Morning
When David Prayed in the Morning of Mourning
Dr. J. Mike Minnix
Psalm 5
Introduction
Turn with me tonight to Psalm 5 and let us consider a man in mourning over a lost kingdom. After losing his throne and not knowing what the future held, David awoke to pray this prayer:
“Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation.
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
10 Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.
11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.”
It is believed that this Psalm was written at a time when David was on the run because his son Absalom had moved into Jerusalem and had taken David’s throne. Some believe that Psalm 5 was written within a few hours of the experience that David was facing, making it a living memorial to the way we must face our own tribulations as beleivers.
David woke up one morning as King of Israel and the next morning he awakened as an exile from his kingdom. In his morning or mourning, he must pray as one who is deeply troubled and tried.
How can David manage this situation? What can he do to overcome his situation? A look at this Psalm tells us that David not only coped with the circumstances he was facing but how he conquered in these dark days. We, too, can face sudden falls from grace with way David did. When the world turns over on top of you, after you were sitting on it just days or hours before, God is still on the throne and cares about you.
Note, first ...
I. David’s Prayer
A. A Felt Prayer
"my sighing...my cry"
David’s prayer in this passage is no mere ritual. He prayed with a burden and his whole heart was in the words he offered up to God.
Our prayers will have more effect when they are offered with passion and faith. Certainly times of hardship engender more forceful prayer, but we don’t have to wait till we are in trouble to pray with conviction and feeling. In fact, when we consider the situations we are praying about, it ought to move us and cause us to sigh and cry. When we think of the lost without Christ, the sick in body and mind, the families that are falling apart, the people who have gone astray, the world that rejects Christ, and more things that I can list in this sermon, it is inconceivable that we can pray without passion. We need to pray felt prayers.
But notice also…
B. A Focused Prayer
"my King"
David knew who He was talking to when he prayed. He was going to the King of the Universe, the Lord of Glory, and the Master of all things. More importantly, David knew that the Lord was “my King” and not just “a king.” In Psalm 23, David does not say, “The Lord is a shepherd,” but rather writes, “The Lord is MY Shepherd.” There is a great difference in the two statements.
Calling on “my King” can give me confidence in the midst of my trials. I know He is over all and before all! He can deal with the matters that I can’t possible deal with.
In essence, we can say that we are to glance at our problems but gaze at our God. We are not to allow the problems to blot out the Lord, but rather we must look in a way that causes our view of the Lord to blot out the problem.
One preacher said the following about My King…
“He's enduringly strong - He's entirely sincere - He's eternally steadfast - He's immortally graceful - He's imperially powerful - He's impartially merciful - Do you know Him?
He's God's Son - He's a sinner's Savior - He's the centerpiece of civilization - He stands in the solitude of Himself - He's awesome
He's unique - He's unparalleled - He's unprecedented - He's the loftiest idea in literature - He's the highest personality in philosophy
He's the supreme problem in higher criticism - He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology - He's the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion
He's the miracle of the age - He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him - He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Savior. I wonder if you know Him today?
He supplies strength for the weak - He's available for the tempted and the tried - He sympathizes and He saves - He strengthens and sustains
He guards and He guides - He heals the sick - He cleanses lepers - He forgives sinners - He discharges debtors - He delivers captives
He defends the feeble - He blesses the young - He serves the unfortunate - He regards the aged - He rewards the diligent - And He beautifies the meek. - I wonder if you know Him?
Well, my King is the King!” (S.M. Lockridge, in a sermon entitled “My King”)
Lockridge said more about the Lord in his sermon on the King, but when I read these words from that great black preacher I thought about David speaking of “My King.” He can be your King and He hears your prayers and knows where you are in your darkest moments, even the dark moments you create for yourself.
Again, note that David prayer a …
C. A Faith Prayer
"wait in expectation"
David wasn’t using prayer as a kind of pity-party but was locking in to a faith that caused him to wait for divine results. He was praying so that he might wait with expectation to see what the Lord was going to do. How exciting that is for a Christian to pray and then look with anticipation to the answer God will send.
We are to pray in faith, or our prayers are faithless and fruitless.
So, first we see David’s prayer, but note something else that was required …
II. David’s Purity
It is important when we pray that we come before God with confession and cleansing. The impure heart cannot expect a holy God to visit with great blessings.
A. The Holiness of God
"you ... take no pleasure in evil"
David knew that God took no pleasure in evil, and therefore David honored the holiness of God. He acknowledged that God is holy and desires that in us.
B. The Holiness of David
"your great mercy...I will stand"
David was a man of weakness, like all of us as humans. He knew his sin and he realized how far he fell short of God’s holy expectations, but David discovered the holiness that is available to all who come to the Lord in repentance and faith. David did not expect to stand in victory due to his practice, position or power, but knew he had the opportunity for success in the circumstances he faced due to the mercy of God.
My friend, we can stand victorious because our God is merciful. He forgives our sins through the shed blood of His Son. He redeems those who come to Him in faith and repentance. Yes, David was holy, not because He was David but because he threw himself upon the mercy of God.
Now, let’s look at one other essential to victory when the enemy is seeking to defeat us…
III. David’s Path
A. Keep Me Strong
"Lead me ... in your righteousness"
No matter what might occur, David desired to follow the righteousness of God. Dear friend, you cannot lose when you leave the path up to God. When we follow Him, the best and most fruitful way opens before us. Jesus said to the disciples, “Come, follow me.” Following Jesus gave them lives of meaning, power, purpose and joy unspeakable and full of glory. Yes, they suffered for His name, but they had a presence that overcame every obstacle in their lives – the presence of God in the person of the Holy Spirit.
B. Keep Me Straight
"Make straight your way before me.
David’s son had forced David out of Jerusalem. At that moment David did not know where He might end up or what path the Lord might choose for him. Yet, David prayed for one thing – “your way” – that is, he was praying simple for God’s way. How many sorrows would be avoided if God’s people could pray and mean those words. Only God’s way!
Lastly, consider …
IV. David’s Protection
David prays for victory and for those who attack God and God’s people to be brought to judgment. He seeks God’s protection and prays for two important things…
A. Shouting to the Lord
"Let them ever sing for joy"
David prays that God’s people might come to a time of shouting for joy and singing in victory. He prays that the faithful who now know sorrow may come to a time of joy and gladness.
Isn’t that what God promises us in His Word? We will one day join the saints around the throne and rejoice in our Lord forever. Don’t let the moment you are facing keep you from the joy that is found in Christ. That was David’s prayer in the deep valley he had entered.
B. Surrounded by the Lord
"sorround him as a shield"
David acknowledged that God’s favor will surround the righteous like a shield. He stated with faith that God will bless those who fully trust and follow Him. Indeed, that is what God did in this case and what He will always do!
Conclusion
Tomorrow morning you will rise to face a new day. It may be that you are in a valley of sorrow, trial or hardship. How can you face a new day when it seems to be dark all around you?
Do what David did.
i. Pray as he prayed
ii. Believe as he believed
iii. Commit as he committed
Just as David returned to the throne some time later, you will rise to victory. Either in this life, the next life or both, you will experience shouting and triumph. Let us this night make a commitment to trust the Lord when we cannot a clear path to victory success. He will make a way there seems to be no way! Let us pray in the morning with faith, peace and victory in our hearts.