THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - July 28, 2104 - Psalm 5

Again we find David coming to God in the morning. This is wise counsel; to wake up and begin our day in prayer, for it is the ultimate compliment to God. It says to him that we are trusting in Him for our every step and that we put Him first in our lives. In this 5^th Psalm we are again taught about prayer. Observe how David approaches God.

Psalm 5:1-3
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

David’s words teach us 3 things about prayer we should apply in our lives. Fist we see David’s boldness. “Give ear to my words”, David says. This would speak in the Hebrew language of telling God to cup His hands around His ears so as to better hear the prayer David brings. “Hearken unto the voice of my cry”, speaks of even more boldness. It means to “prick up your ears” and is best thought of a how a dog’s ears kind of get perked up when they hear something. Though we always approach God in a reverent and respectful way, what this teaches us is that by asking God to hear us we are expressing faith that He does just that.

Notice the second aspect we see from David is a heavy burden. Obviously David is crying out to God with a desperate need. Again this shows God our complete dependence on Him. Romans 8:26 tells us that sometimes our burden may be so heavy we cannot even speak words to express it. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” That is the time to just be quiet and pray in the Spirit.

But as we come to God in prayer we find the 3^rd aspect to be an orderly and harmonious method of prayer. “In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee…”, David says. This speaks of a careful preparation of our petitions. We can and should be specific in our prayers. Consider scripture as you go to Lord and be prepared to ask God to answer us as per the promises of His Word. This honors God because again it says we believe He is who He says He is.

This Psalm continues on with David acknowledging the holiness of God and contrasts it with the evilness of man. Recognition of the sinful nature of man makes us humble and puts in place our worship and trust in the only one worthy of our worship.

Psalm 5:4-7
“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You.
The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity.
You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
But as for me, by Your abundant loving kindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You”

David finishes up with a bit of intercessory prayer for fellow believers.

Psalm 5:11
“But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You.”

Then he closes with a statement of worship through acknowledgment of God’s favor to those who are His.

Psalm 5:12
“For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.”

God is our shield. Morning and night we must call on Him to be our savior.