In The Word
Read: Psalm 86-87
A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.
A Prayer of David.
86 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy.
2 Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry all day long.
4 Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours.
9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds;
You alone are God.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And a band of violent men have sought my life,
And they have not set You before them.
15 But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
16 Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid.
17 Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
87 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God. Selah.
4 “I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’”
5 But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will establish her.
6 The Lord will count when He registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah.
7 Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say,
“All my springs of joy are in you.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In today’s two psalms, the attitude toward Yahweh is as the Great Helper first on the personal level, then on the national level. In Psalm 86, King David individually submitted to the Lordship of Yahweh. In Psalm 87, the whole nation recognized Yahweh as Lord. God judges the actions of both the individual and the nation.
King David cried out to God with prayers on several matters, and David was confident that he would receive an answer from God. All of his petitions were grounded in the nature of God: He is good and is willing to forgive sins. God provides abundant mercy to all who call upon Him. David understood that the purpose of praying was to hear God’s perfect will. David said, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth.”
The foundation of prayer is the willingness to respond to God’s instructions, not just to have needs met. When Jesus prayed to the Father in the garden, His heart was only to do the will of the Father (Matthew 26). John taught that from confidence in praying comes a willingness to pray in accordance with God’s perfect will (1 John 5:14–15).
Some people find frustration from unanswered prayers when they are praying for selfish requests (James 4:3). Asking God to meet your needs but still doing your own will is not holy. Today, examine your motives when praying to God. If they are selfish, then correct your heart to line up with God’s will.