The anatomy of a prayer

Psalm 143 is a prayer of David in which we see him seeking God in some very important areas of his life. Space prohibits me from printing the entire Psalm, but I would really encourage you to read it ....maybe read it several times out loud. 

David begins by asking God to hear his prayer because it is a cry for mercy. He seeks relief for his troubled heart on the basis of God's faithfulness and righteousness. His plea to God indicates that David knows he is a sinner, that none are righteous before the Lord. 

Not only was David feeling the need of prayer because of his sin, he prayed also for deliverance from his enemies.  His enemies were crushing him and he was dwelling in darkness. He says his spirit is growing weak and his heart is dismayed. 

Those are the requests and feelings of David in the first four verses of the psalm. Then starting in verse 5, we see David's prayer continue, but it seems to intensify somewhat when David remembers the old days when he was in meditation on the works of God. He considers all that God has done. Then David says that he "spreads out his hands to God, his soul thirsts for God like a parched land."

The agony in David's heart can be seen in his plea for God to answer him quickly.  He was feeling the failure of his spirit. He begs God not to hide his face from him.  Thus the picture of David's wrestling with his condition, the emptiness of his spirit, and the need of spiritual refreshing. 

That is also the description of us when we feel we have reached the end of our rope. We have tried so many ways and so many things that would fix our dilemma, and all have failed. We, like David find that our own agony brings us to our knees in prayer to plead for God's help. 

Then we see more progression in the intensity of his prayer when David says,

 "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.
        Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."

And then later,

 "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me on level ground."

I hope you read the entire psalm, but I wanted to lead you to this point in David's prayer to show you his progress from despair to his confidence and trust in knowing God's answer to his prayer would be just what he needed.  That's the way we should seek God and his answer for our prayers, too.

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