A Prayer of David

Q: What does the Bible say about the importance of prayer?

The Bible teaches that prayer is essential for maintaining a close relationship with God. Prayer is central to the life of a believer, as demonstrated by David, who is referred to as a man after God’s own heart. His prayers reflect constant communion with God, indicating that prayer is not just a ritual but a lifestyle. In Psalm 17, David emphasizes his need for God’s attention, illustrating that sincere prayer comes from a contrite heart. The act of prayer signifies reliance on God's grace, rather than on one's own righteousness, emphasizing the necessity of being attuned to God's presence in all aspects of life.

Q: How do we know that God hears our prayers?

God hears our prayers through Christ, who is our advocate before the Father. In Psalm 17, David repeatedly emphasizes his confidence that God will hear his prayer. He specifically asks God to 'hear the right,' indicating that he approaches God through the righteousness of Christ. This connection is fundamental in sovereign grace theology, as believers understand that their prayers are heard not because of their merit but due to the intercession of Jesus. David's assurance reflects the belief that God does not ignore the prayers of the broken-hearted and that He listens attentively to those who pray sincerely in faith.

Q: Why is confidence in God's grace important for Christians?

Confidence in God's grace assures believers of their standing before Him and encourages a vibrant faith. In Psalm 17, David expresses profound confidence in God's grace, stating, 'As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness.' This confidence arises not from his own merit but from the grace offered by God through Christ. For Christians, understanding that they are accepted before God based on Christ's righteousness fosters a sense of security and motivates them to live faithfully. This reliance on grace not only sustains their faith but also empowers them to face life's challenges, knowing that they are kept by His unchanging love.

Q: Why does David emphasize contrition and confession in his prayer?

Contrition and confession demonstrate a humble heart that seeks God's mercy and grace. David, in Psalm 17, illustrates the importance of contrition by recognizing his own failings before a holy God. He approaches God with a broken and contrite heart, fully aware that his prayers for vindication and mercy depend on God's grace alone. Likewise, confession is vital; he acknowledges his sins and his need for God's forgiveness. This model of contrite prayer aligns with Reformed theology, which teaches that true repentance is the gateway to receiving grace. Believers are reminded that acknowledging their sin helps maintain their relationship with God, allowing them to plead for His loving-kindness.

All right, let's open our Bibles
again to the portion of Scripture Brother Cecil Roach read for
us, Psalm 17. Now as you note in your Bible, this
is called a prayer of David. And that's what I want to entitle
my message tonight, a prayer of David. Now usually when someone
mentions David, King David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, anointed
of God, mighty warrior, writer of the Psalms, prophet of God,
usually when someone mentions David, these words follow the
man after God's own heart. the man after God's own heart. Well, I guarantee you this, that
David would not be a man after God's own heart if David was
not a man of prayer. He was a man of prayer. And I
speak not only of times set aside for prayer. I know we set aside
time for prayer. We have public prayer here, we
have prayer in the study, we have prayer in our homes, we
have prayer before our meals. But I speak not only of times
set aside for prayer or prayers on special occasions. I have
the prayers of David marked in my Bible, special occasions,
when he prayed before the people and when he prayed for the people.
But David was a man of prayer. in that he was in constant communion
with God, constant communion with God about all things. Actually,
when I read this psalm and thought about preaching from it today,
I noticed that it's difficult sometimes to tell when David's
talking to others and when he's talking to himself and when he's
talking to God. You know what I'm saying? He's in such constant communion
with the Lord God that it's difficult to know when he's speaking to
himself or to others or when he's speaking to God. It just
all flows. And this is one of those prayers,
Psalm 17, from the heart, from the heart of a man after God's
own heart. And it's a prayer of contrition.
It's a prayer of confession. It's a prayer of confidence.
Oh, to be always alive and active in those three areas. Contrition. Contrition. How often our Lord
says that he is near unto those of a broken heart and a contrite
spirit. A contrite spirit. O Lord, thy
will not despise. And confession, always confessing
our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive
us, always confessing Christ. And then confidence. Look at
the last verse. Cecil said this is the key verse. This is the verse I want to get
to tonight, if I have time. In verse 15, here is his confidence. As for me, I will behold thy
face in righteousness. Oh, the confidence David had,
not in himself, but in the grace of his God. I will behold thy
face. I shall be satisfied. I will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I shall not be moved. We used to sing an old song,
I shall not be, I shall not be moved, just like a tree planted
by the waters. I shall not be moved. And when
I looked up that statement in the scriptures and concordance,
I find that David uses it over and over and over again. I shall
not be moved. I shall not be greatly moved.
And so here is a prayer, a prayer of contrition, a broken heart. O God, thy will not despise. A prayer of confession, confessing
sin and yet confessing God's grace in Christ, and a prayer
of confidence. I will behold thy face. Well, let's begin with verse
1. And David says three times he asked to be heard. Three times
he asked to be heard. I tell you, if God won't hear
us, our condition is dreadful. If God won't hear us, if God
won't hear us, our condition is hopeless. If we have no throne
of grace, if we have no mercy seat, we're without help, we're
without hope, we're without God. What miserable creatures if God
won't hear us. And here three times David asked
God to hear him. He says in the first line, he
says, hear the right, O Lord. In your margin there, it says,
hear justice. But I tell you what he's saying
here. He's saying, hear the just one. Hear the Messiah. Hear me in Christ. That's what
he's saying. Our Lord said, if any man ask
anything of the Father in my name, God will hear him. So David
is saying here, right from the outset, hear the right. Hear
the righteous one, hear the just one, hear the Messiah, hear thy
dear son. My prayer is in and through him.
Hear him. I don't come alone. I come in
my advocate. And then he says, attend unto
my cry. Now this is so important here. Dave is not just talking. He's
not just talking. He doesn't say, hear my speech. or hear my oration. He says,
hear my cry. David's cry. Here's the cry of
a broken heart, a contrite heart. It's the cry of one in need.
Hear my cry. Lord, hear the right one, the
just one, the righteous one. Hear me in him and hear my cry. Hear my plea. You know, there's
a mighty power in a child's cry. Your little boy or little girl
will be playing in the room, in their own room, and the mother's
busy, she's taking care of the house, she's changing the bed,
she's watching, and that child may be, maybe two or three of
them playing, and they may be talking, and the mother just
really doesn't pay any attention, but let one of them what? Cry. Let one of them cry. You've got
that. Hear my cry. Hear my cry. learn to cry unto God. And then
he says, listen to this, give ear, give ear to my prayer, give
ear to my prayer that comes from a, from a, not out of pain lips,
not out of deceitful lips, not out of insincere lips, insincerity
is not only hateful to me and it's hateful to God. So David
says, Lord, hear the righteous one, hear the just one, hear
the Messiah, and hear my cry, my plea, the one in need. And Lord, my prayer comes from
a sincere heart." Spurgeon said, sincerity is the foundation of
prayer. No need to pray unless I'm sincere
before God. All right, verse 2. And Brother
Cecil paused on this, too. It just seems like as I studied
for my message and wrote down my notes about everywhere that
I have a point, he paused. And that's kindred spirits and
kindred hearts taught by the same Spirit. Here he says, Lord,
let my sentence come forth from thy presence. What's he saying? David is saying this, let my
sentence of vindication or condemnation come from you. Come from you. Not from me and not even from
myself. But let my sentence of vindication,
and that's what he's expecting, not condemnation, but vindication
and justification, let it come from your presence. David has
been doubted, he has been maligned, he has been accused, but he brings
himself and his case and his claim to the highest court and
he invites judgment. He invites judgment. No secrecy. He says in the next line, let
your eyes behold the things that are right, that are just, that
are true. David's not afraid of condemnation,
neither was Paul. Paul said, who can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. He
said, who can condemn? It's Christ that does. Yea, rather,
is risen again, who is also ascended into heaven, who is even at the
right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. I don't
fear condemnation. He says, let the sentence of
my vindication come from thy presence. If a man is truly in
Christ, by sincere saving faith, arrayed in the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ and washed in his blood, he can be
so bold. He can be so confident. Let my
sentence of vindication, let my fate, let my future, let my
hope come from your presence, because you, Lord, behold things
that are equal." Just for a moment, turn to Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45,
verse 19. Listen to Isaiah here, Isaiah
49, verse 19. The Lord is speaking, and Isaiah
writes, I am the Lord, there is none else, verse 18, last
Then verse 19, he says, I have not spoken in secret. I have
not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I said not
unto the seed of Jacob, seeking me in vain. I, the Lord, speak
righteousness. I declare things that are equal
and just and just and righteous. So bold, bold I stand in that
great day. who ought to my charge shall
lay, while full thy blood redeemed I am from sin's tremendous guilt
and shame." So David could say, let my sentence come forth from
thy presence. Let thine eyes behold the things
that are right. And he beholds us in Christ.
He beholds us in the Savior. He beholds us only in Christ,
but one sentence can come from the throne of God. Turn him loose,
I found a ransom. Turn him loose, I found a ransom.
All right, verse 3. David said, Thou hast proved
mine heart. Thou hast proved mine heart. What David is saying here is
the same argument Peter used when he said to the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Master said, Peter, do you love me? And Peter said
this, you know all things. You know my heart. You've proved
my heart. You've searched my heart. Thou
hast searched me and known me, and you know I love you. And
that's exactly what David says here. You've proved my heart.
You know me. You know my heart. You gave me
the faith. You gave me the grace. Listen
to this. You visited me in the night. You visited me when no
one else is around. You come into my room when no
one's there. You've come upon me at all times,
unawares and unexpected. You have no confidence in my
flesh, but I have confidence in thee. You visited me at all
times. You proved me. Thou hast tried
me, and shalt find nothing. You'll find no confidence in
my flesh, but you'll find complete confidence in your blood. You've
proved me, you've tried me, and you shall find nothing. You shall
find no confidence in this flesh. Because I am purposed that my
mouth shall not transgress. I will not deny thee. That's
my purpose and that's my desire by thy grace. Now look at verse
4. Now concerning the works of men,
concerning the works of men, by thy word, by the word of thy
lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer, the evil
one. Now concerning the works of natural
men, David knew the works of natural men, and he speaks here
of the paths and the way of Satan that Paul talked about in Ephesians
chapter 2. And there's one way that David
escaped the works of men and the path of the destroyer, and
that is, listen, by the word of thy lips. Concerning the works
of men, the ways of men, and concerning the powers of the
destroyer, I have been kept from those works and from those ways
by thy word." There is one way to avoid both the works of men
and the ways of Satan, and that is to be steeped in the word of
God, deep in the word of God. Turn to 1 John 2.14. Listen to
John here, 1 John 2.14. John says in 1 John 2.14, I have
written unto you fathers, listen, because you have known him, that
is, from the beginning. I have written unto you young
men because you are strong, and the word of God abided in you. That's the way to avoid You know,
when he wrote to the church at Corinth, he said, you're acting
like carnal men. Are you not carnal? You're acting
like carnal people. And concerning the works of natural
men and the ways, the devious ways of Satan, the way to avoid
them is right here. The word of God about it in you,
and you have overcome that wicked one. Turn to Psalm 119. Listen to these verses in Psalm
119. concerning the word of God. Psalm 119. Look at verse 9. Wherewithal shall a young man
cleanse his way? Where shall he cleanse his way?
By taking heed thereto according to thy word. Look at verse 11. Thy word have I here in my heart,
that I might not sin against thee. How do we avoid these pitfalls
and and works of men and ways of Satan. How do we avoid them?
I'll hide thy word in my heart that I might not sin against
thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes. With my
lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have
rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches. I'll
meditate on thy precepts. I'll meditate in thy precepts,
and have respect unto thy ways, I will delight myself in thy
statutes. I will not forget thy word. Concerning the ways and works
of men and the ways of Satan, I have been kept from those works
and that path by the word of thy lips." All right? hold up my goings in thy paths,
that my footsteps slip not." One of the old preachers, I found
this outline, one of the old preachers preached from this
verse of scripture years ago, and he gave this outline. He
had five points. He said, who, to whom does David
look? Well, he's talking to the Lord.
Oh, Lord, and what? What does David request? Hold up my path, hold up my steps,
hold up my walk, hold me up, hold me up, support me. When? Present tense, right now, at
all times. O Lord, hold me up, hold me up,
support me, keep me. Where? In thy paths. Hold me up and keep me in thy
paths, O Lord. that my footsteps slip not."
Slip not. Is it possible for a believer
to slip in the way of God? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. The road's good. The road's solid. The road is divine. The road
leads to God. But the feet that walk it are
frail and human and liable to slip. Oh, we're capable of some
bad decisions. We're capable of some poor judgment. And that's the reason we can't
be left to our own wisdom and to our own ways. We've got to
pray here with David. Oh, Lord, hold up my goings. Hold up my steps. Hold me up
in thy paths. Hold me up, support me, sustain
me in your paths. that my footsteps slip not."
Slide away and fall. And then verse 6, he says, Listen,
I have called upon thee, O I have called upon thee, for thou wilt
hear me, O God, incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. David doesn't call upon the flesh,
He doesn't call for the support of men or the approval of men.
He said, I've called on thee. I've called on thee. For you'll
hear me. You've always heard me. This
thing of communion with God was no new thing with David. David was a man who had often
communed with God. He talked about communion with
God on his bed. He talked about wetting his pillow
with tea. I called on you. You've heard
me. You've heard me. You've heard
me. I tell you, the man who has long
been to the well and found the water sweet, he remembers where
the well is, and he'll be back. And he's not looking for another.
Like Peter said, to whom shall we go? We found the words of
life. He's not looking for another
well, and he knows where the well is, and he knows what's
there, and he comes often to it. He can't stay away. I've
called upon you, and you've heard me. A little word study here
that I found that I thought was very good, a little word study
that two persons, I and thee, I called upon thee. I know the
world talks a whole lot about God calling upon us, God calling
upon you for this, and God has no hands but your hands, no feet.
Now David said, I called on you. I called on thee. In two words,
I call and you hear. I call and you hear. Hear me.
Hear my cry. Hear the right one. And then
two tenses, I have, I have called on you. I have and you will hear
me. I call and you will hear. And
two wonders, two persons, I called on thee. Two words, I call and
you hear. Two tenses, I have and you will. And two wonders, that he would hear me. What's
the other one? That I don't call more. Two wonders, that he would hear
me. And I wonder that I don't call
on him more. I've called, and you hear me. Then he says, incline your ear
unto me. I was having dinner with a family
not long ago, and the little boy of the house, not too little,
9, 10, 11 years old, he was sitting at the table beside his mother,
and he had a message for her that he didn't care for the rest
of us hearing. And so he did like this, and
she did what? She inclined her ear, and she
put it right down on his mouth. And they had a little conversation
there. But she inclined her ear. And
David saying, Lord, I call upon thee, and you hear me, incline
your ear. Oh, I tell you, that'd be a sweet
vocation if we'd be more at it. Be more at it. Incline your ear
to me. and hear my speech. And then
he says here in verse 7, Lord, show your marvelous loving, your
marvelous lovingkindness. Your marvelous lovingkindness. That's all I can, that's all
I can, that's all I can ask for and that's all I can depend upon and that's all I
can hope for. You know, I thought, when I saw
this, Show thy marvelous lovingkindness, I thought, I've read the Psalms,
and this seems to be a word David uses frequently, lovingkindness,
lovingkindness, lovingkindness. I don't say that there's much
emphasis to be lent to how many times something is used in the
Bible, but David uses this word 23 times. in the book of Psalms. Loving kindness. Show your marvelous
loving kindness. You know, why loving kindness?
Well, kindness can be shown to an enemy. Feed your enemy. That's showing
kindness. You might not invite him in to
spend the night, but you feed him. That's kindness. But my
friends, loving kindness is reserved for an object of affection. That's
loving kindness. Loving kindness. And in the case
of our Lord and us, it's always marvelous loving kindness. Marvelous, amazing grace. Amazing grace. How sweet the
sound that he should save a wretch like me. Why is the lovingkindness
of God so marvelous? Well, it's marvelous in its antiquity. It's everlasting. He said, I've
drawn you with an everlasting love. God didn't just begin to
love me. God's always loved me in Christ. It's marvelous in its longsuffering. Longsuffering. Listen to this
scripture over here. Don't turn to it. Let me just
find it quickly and read it to you. Psalm 86, 15. Thou, Lord, art full of compassion,
and gracious, and long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth."
I'm so thankful that God's loving kindness is not, is not like
the kindness of me and then it can be cut off so quickly, cut
off The least mistake, the least idle word, the least failure,
and you're through. But oh, how long has he suffered
with us. His loving kindness, it's from
everlasting, and it's long-suffering, and it's unchangeable. Marvelous! In its unchangeableness, in its
immutability. He said, I'm the Lord, I don't
change. Therefore you sons of Jacob are
not consumed. I don't change. You do. He'll
never change in his love for you. Never will. My love grows cold. Does yours? You having a problem with that?
Oh, these cold, cold hearts. His lovingkindness is marvelous
in its faithfulness. He said, I'll never leave you.
I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. His lovingkindness
is marvelous in its power, and he's able to keep that which
I've committed He's able to save to the uttermost them that come
to God by him. He's able. He's able to raise
our vile bodies and make them like his incorruptible, glorified body. And listen. Verse 7, Show thy
marvelous love. I want that, don't you? Show
thy marvelous, marvelous lovingkindness, O thou that savest. How? By thy
right hand. Who is this right hand? Who sits
at his right hand? Who ascended and sat down at
his right hand? The Lord Jesus Christ. Christ
sits at his right hand, and his right hand stands between us
and every adversary, every accuser, every enemy, every charge. O
thou that saved us by thy right hand, those that put their trust
in thee. That's Christ. That's Christ. From those that rise up against
them. Oh, every adversary and the devil is a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour and accuse of the brethren, every
enemy, enemies within, enemies without, every charge. Sometimes you'll be out driving,
going through a town, when the children, on their way to school,
and there'll be a patrolman out at this busy intersection. And
he'll be standing on the corner and the children are standing
behind him. He's got his uniform on and his badge. In a few minutes
he'll step out in front of the cars and he'll throw up his right
hand. And every car stops. Every car. And the little children
can walk, laughing and playing, ignoring any danger, there's
cars there, cars yonder, but here stands this man with his
right hand up. And they fear no evil. And I'll
tell you this, at the right hand of God is my wisdom and my righteousness
and my sanctification and my redemption. My Lord, who loved
me and gave himself for me. who imputed to me a perfect holiness
and cleansed me by his blood." And that's God's right hand.
And that right hand held up in the face of the most powerful
principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness and enemies of
my soul, they can't move a peg. And I can walk right on by. He
saves by his right hand all those that trust in him, from those
that rise up against Then he says in verse 8, keep me, keep
me. Well, I started this journey
a long time ago. And I started this journey with
those two words, keep me. And those are the two words that
I pray with David tonight, keep me. Keep me and I shall be kept. You know, he said in John 17,
12, he said, Father, while I was with them in the world, I kept
them. Those that thou gavest me, I kept. The apostle wrote, we are kept
by the power of God. The hymn writer said, he'll keep
me. He'll keep me. He'll keep me. In the hollow
of his hand, he'll keep me till the river rolls its waters at
my feet. He'll keep me. I need to be kept. I need to be kept for myself.
I need to be kept for my enemies. I need to be kept in his love.
I need to be kept. And I'll tell you how he's going
to keep us. And this is the way David prayed. Listen. Two emblems
of tenderness. Tenderness. He says, Lord, keep
me. Keep me as the apple of thy eye. Now, when you first read
that, you think of somebody special. You know, we talk about a certain
person, we say, he's the apple of my eye, she's the apple of
my eye. But you know, this little stronger here, I believe the
word is pupil. Keep me and protect me and watch
over me like a man keeps and protects the pupil of his eye.
Keep me. Mighty important, keep me. And
then he says, here's the second emblem of tenderness and care. He says, keep me, hide me under
the shadow of thy wings. That's the mother bird who covers
her little ones under her wings. She clucks, you know, and they
come running. And they get up under her wings. And that old
hen will take on about anything protecting those chickens. And
that's why you keep me. Keep me, keep me, keep me. Now listen, verse 9, Cecil paused
there for a moment and then he went back and he says, keep me,
verse 9, from the wicked that oppress me. Keep me from the
wicked that oppress me. Now while you're reading this,
I want to caution you. Perhaps you have people whom
you call your enemies. Maybe in your family. in your
neighborhood, maybe on the job where you work, maybe you have
what you think are enemies in this world, but they're really
no threat. They're no threat. Our Lord said, fear not them
which kill the body. You don't need to be afraid of
them. They're not really my enemies. They pose no threat to me. All
you have to do where flesh is concerned is ignore it. Just
ignore it. Just avoid them. And they're
not enemies anymore. Just don't think of them. Just
forget them. That's the way to handle human
enemies. Just ignore them. Just set your affection on those
that love you. Like a preacher wrote me from
Australia today, and in this letter, see if I have it here. Anyway, I don't have it. But
he said this, he talked about his church, and he said, the
few that cause me anguish are so overshadowed by the many that
bring me joy that it doesn't matter. And so when David talks
about his enemies, he's not talking about people, he's not talking
about people. You know, Paul said this, and
this is, if we're not careful, If we're not careful, we'll fall
right into the hands of Satan in this thing about enemies. It's possible for a man to think
he has a human enemy, and start fighting that human enemy, and
the way he carries on that battle against the human enemy, he becomes
the pawn of his real enemy. You see what I'm saying? He becomes
the lackey. He becomes the instrument. He
becomes the palm of Satan. That's his enemy. See, you do something wrong to
me and I start attacking you. I'm doing what he wants me to
do. That's what he wants me to do. He wants me to hate you. He wants me to attack you. He
wants me to act ugly towards you. That's what he wants. And
when I think you're my enemy and I employ those methods, he
got me. You understand what I'm saying?
So if I just realized you're not my enemy, you could never
be my enemy. He's my enemy. You understand
what I'm saying? And how often we do that, how
often we think that these little vessels of clay They're not our
enemies, they're like us. They're just worms like we are,
wiggling maggots like we are. There's no significance whatsoever. Paul said, listen, let me read
it to you. You don't have to turn to this, you're familiar
with it as you possibly can be. Listen to this in Ephesians 6. He says, we wrestle not against
flesh and blood. We wrestle against principalities. powers. I wouldn't have to call
on God to deal with my enemies if they were like me. I'd just
shoot them. Ain't no problem getting them out of the way.
But I can't shoot Satan. I can't even handle him. Michael
couldn't. Job couldn't. Peter couldn't.
We wrestle not against flesh and blood. We wrestle against
principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world,
spiritual wickedness in all places. Wherefore, take unto you the
whole armor of God, recognize your true enemy, so that you
will be able to withstand, so that you won't become his lackey,
his palm, his instrument, his means." Oh, David says here, keep me
from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies who compass
me about. They're enclosed in their own
fat. With their mouth they speak proudly. How Satan said to Eve,
you'll not die. God knows if you eat that you'll
be like God. That's pretty proud, isn't it? They have now compassed us in
our steps. They've set their eyes bowing
down to the earth. Where are they? They got their
eyes down here on the earth, set their eyes bearing down to
the earth, and also not looking in the eye, they're deceitful. They're deceitful, like as a
lion that is greedy of his prey, as a young lion lurking in secret
places. Did you know we have enemies
like that? That's not flesh and blood. That's principalities
and powers. Oh Lord, arise! Disappoint him. Disappoint him. Disappoint him. Prevent his face. Prevent his purpose. Deliver
us from the evil one. Disappoint him. Deliver my soul
from the wicked one by thy sword. Deliver me by thy sword from
the wicked one. And then for men, now watch this
here, for men which, for men by thy hand, O Lord, for men
of the world, which have their portion in this life, whose belly
thou fillest with our hid treasures, they are full of children, leave
the rest of their substance to their babes. See, talking about
here, David is talking here about being
delivered from envy. You see, these people here in
verse 14 are men, he said, who have their portion in this life.
In other words, he fell into this trap over in Psalm 73. Do
you remember that, when he looked around him and saw all these
people prospering? He said they had their portion
in this life, their bellies are filled with Jahid treasure, God's
It seems like everything they touch prospers, everything they
touch turns to gold, everything they touch is, they're building
bigger houses and buying more land and they're prospering and
they're full of children and their children prosper and when
they die they leave millions and thousands and their children
carry on their estates and so forth. Lord, deliver me from envy. Deliver
me from envy. give me a heart of contentment."
And that's what he finds here. He says, as for me, as for me,
as for me, I will behold thy face. And like
Cecil said, his face of righteousness, God is holy, that's his chief
attribute. I'll behold your face in righteousness.
Well, no man can look on God and live. I will, because I'm going to
behold him as he is in righteousness and true holiness, stand in his
presence, because in Christ, with his garments on, I'm as
righteous as his son. And because he can stand in God's
presence, I can. I'm going to behold his face,
his face in righteousness, and my eyes will be just as righteous
through Christ. I've seen his hand in creation. I've seen his power day by day. I've seen his wisdom in providence. I've seen his love in Christ.
I've seen his mercy and redemption. I'm going to see his face. Job
said that. I'm going to see him. Not another. I myself. I'm going to see him.
How can a man look on God and live? The only man who can look
on God in righteousness is a man in the righteousness of Christ,
delivered from all natural qualities, because he's put this body in
the grave, and now he stands before God perfect. Perfect. And then he says this, watch
this and I'll close. He says in verse 15, ask for
me, ask for me. I will behold thy face in righteousness
and I'll be satisfied. I'll be satisfied. First of all,
my imagination is going to be satisfied. I've tried, I confess
unto you, I've tried to imagine what it will be like to see God,
see Christ. I've tried to imagine what it
will be like, what some of our dear people whom God has called
home. What? When they close their eyes
here in death and open them in the presence of God. Haven't
you wondered about that? Oh, I do. I must confess, I do.

A Prayer of David

What does the Bible say about the importance of prayer?

How do we know that God hears our prayers?

Why is confidence in God's grace important for Christians?

Why does David emphasize contrition and confession in his prayer?

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A Prayer of David

What does the Bible say about the importance of prayer?

How do we know that God hears our prayers?

Why is confidence in God's grace important for Christians?

Why does David emphasize contrition and confession in his prayer?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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