Praying

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth . Turn to me, and be gracious to me; Oh grant Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your handmaid. Psalm 86:15-16

Psalm 86 is widely regarded as a prayer of David. It is always profitable to see the prayers of God’s people in Holy Scripture. They can teach us much about how to pray and intercede in our own prayer life.

After acknowledging God’s power and goodness, David made three specific requests of God in these verses:

David prayed for God’s graciousness. He knew that without God’s gracious love He could accomplish nothing of eternal value. The need for such a prayer should be evident in our lives as well. We need God’s grace every day.

David prayed for God’s strengthening. David mentions his enemies and the need for deliverance several times in this psalm. He was fully aware that his power was limited. But, he was also aware of the omnipotent power of God. In the same way, we should also pray for God’s power to overcome in our lives.

Finally, David prayed for God’s salvation. While David didn’t know what his future would hold, he did trust that God would bring Him through the trials. Our prayers should be saturated with the same types of thoughts and longings. The way may be rough but God is able to bring us safely home to heaven. Through the finished work of Christ, the Christian has been saved, sanctified, and is secure forevermore.

David’s prayer psalm serves as an example for us today. We ought to pray for God’s graciousness, power, and preservation. These prayers will guard us and strengthen us each day. May God richly bless you as you seek Him through prayer.

Tony French