A Prayer for Peace
Prayers in Psalms • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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A Prayer for Peace
For the past few weeks, we have discussed different Prayers in Psalms.
We have learned that prayer is important to our daily walks with God
We have also learned that our prayers shouldn't be repetitive but associated with the situation that we are in.
We discussed “A Prayer of Wonder” and “A Prayer for Revelation.”
Today I want to go to the book of Psalms Chapter 4 and take some time to learn about “A Prayer for Peace.”
Because, today… is Mother’s Day, and if there is group of people whom I think deserve a little bigger slice of “Peace” in their day - It’s wonderful women who are the Moms, Mothers, Mommas, Mommies, and those women who have passed that season, becoming the Grans, Grandma’s, Me-maws, or any one of the many names for those women who are the mothers to the parents of a children.
The number of challenges and difficulties that face the women that raise children are innumerable.
Being the first lady of the family is a super hard task at times, ain’t it mammas?
The Loving, nurturing instinct of mothers, opens the door to challenges.
Challenges that You have to “live” to believe.
I will give an example for those out there who may not have children, or may not have them yet.
Many mommas know that there are times when one of the biggest challenges that you will face will be when you are trying to get the fruit of your loins to focus?
Come on now, Ladies, Can I get a big, LOUD, “Amen!” If you know what that is like.
Especially during those years that your children are or were little kids…
Am I right?
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get their attention?
So since it’s mothers day, I did some research and found that there are two, “sure fire,” ways to get your child’s attention.
Ladies, if you have a pen or paper you may want to write these down.
Okay, if you are ready…
The first way is this:
When you find that your little son or daughter is most distracted…
Sneak into a room somewhere,( it can be the same room that they are in, or a different room, whichever you prefer)
Once you have used the stealth and silence of a ninja to enter into a room,
Find a chair, couch, bed…. It doesn’t matter..
Find a piece of furniture that is fluffy enough that people may want to sit or rest for an
extended period of time.
Then I want you to slowly, quietly sit in it.. .
Now, this next part is the part that you really need to write down.
Cause it is going to get your Kids attention…Every Time…
Once you have sat down… Go ahead and get really good and comfortable.
I promise, in no time at all, you kid will notice you there.. It will occur to them at that moment that they have been needing to ask you to do something… or to have you help them do something…
Hahahaha.
Don’t worry though. Whatever it is, it is most likely related to some expenditure of movement.
The Other way to get their attention “Guaranteed” especially if you child happens to be a certain age, is for you to try to use the bathroom by yourself.
Right?
Now for those of you out there who may not know this, Moms don’t get “ALONE” time in the bathroom.
Nope.
Now don’t despair, It’s not like what would happen if a mom gets comfy on a couch…
Like I said, Couches and Comforts make labor to manifest..
Restrooms are different though.
I don’t think science has even figured out why.
For for some reason, anytime a momma goes to the restroom, her children suddenly have a overwhelming desire for Advice, or if it is a small child, Momma taking a bathroom break makes children want to be hugged, cuddled,
Are there any AMENS out there?
I”m Just kidding… A little bit….
But Really!
It’s so very Weird.. And yet So very true.
You know when some of us were little, there were things that our mothers told us to do that didn’t really make sense then.
But when you grow up and have kids of your own, it all begins to make sense.
For example; When I was little I never understood that rule that a kid had to Go OUTSIDE and play.
Don’t get me wrong,
That is exactly what you want to do when you're young and energetic.
But did anyone else wonder why your mother would always tell you to scurry along and play?
Well now you know, she wanted to use the bathroom in Peace.
Mothers deserve some peace.
They are the peacemakers, the very Glue that binds a family together?
But, the stress and rigors of holding everyone together can leave the Peacemaker peace deficient.
That loss of Peace is not a trait exclusive to mothers though is it?
You may find that you're lacking peace, no matter your Age, Gender, Marital Status, or income level.
Any body, anywhere, at any time or station of life can be in need of a peace that they do not possess.
Perhaps you, yourself, are in need of a greater peace.
The Psalm we will be discussing today commits itself to the pursuit and acquisition of increased peace; and it walks us through some critical elements that we need to know.
So with that let’s turn in our bibles to the book of Psalms, Chapter 4.
Psalm 4
1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
In this Psalm, David starts praying for God to hear him. He says,
“Hear me when I call or give me an Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have enlarged me when I was in distress.
Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer!
The middle phrase in this verse,
“You had enlarged me when I was in distress,” could literally be translated as, “You have given me peace in my time of trouble.”
We don’t know David's situation when he wrote this psalm, but it sounds like he needed peace.
We may not know what situation David was facing, but the fact is, it’s better that we don’t know.
I say that because it really doesn’t matter what he faced; we only need to know how he prayed for peace.
I believe this is a psalm for any of us who find ourselves in a tough situation needing peace.
For a better part of David’s life, he faced distress, discouragement, and depression.
His life was full of turmoil.
People lied to him and on him; people slandered his name, and he often faced physical threats to his life.
Often his life was filled with turmoil instead of peace.
I would say that many of us right now are feeling turmoil in our lives, and we need peace.
Well, in the Psalm, David teaches us how to respond to the moments when you need to find peace.
David says we respond when we need peace by being confident and honest.
You can call it audaciousness or boldness.
Whatever you call it, David is incredibly bold in addressing God as he faces his tight spot.
Again in verse 1, he says:
“Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!”
What I find amazing about this verse is how David approaches God.
1. David comes to God in prayer with bold confidence God.
He’s bold in approaching God. He basically says, “Listen up! Hear me!”
He demands an active response from God.
He does not come as someone unsure of God’s ability.
He comes with a bold expectation that God will hear and respond.
There are two concepts here.
One is the expectation that God is willing to hear David’s prayers.
David has no doubt that God can and should turn his ear and listen to him during his moment of turmoil.
Listen, no one’s voice sounds sweeter to God than your voice.
Nothing in the cosmos would keep him from directing his full attention to your conversation or your request.”
David got that.
David had a bold expectation that God would hear him.
He had the audacity to say, “Listen up, God!” and expect God actually to listen.
David prayed with confidence that God would not only listen but answer his prayer.
He approaches the God who has given him peace before and prays, “Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!”
You know, there’s a type of listening that seems sympathetic but is anything but.
If you tell me your problems this morning, I can nod and say “Uh huh” as you speak.
You might walk away thinking that I’m a great listener.
That’s important, but I really haven’t helped you.
David is approaching God.
He expects God to be a good listener but is looking for more.
He expects God to answer his prayer, to come through again and help him out of this tight spot.
David has bold confidence in God, that God would listen and that God would answer his prayer.
God desires bold, even shameless, prayer in coming to him.
When you read the prayers of the Bible, they’re bold.
They just asked God for the exact thing they needed.
They approached His throne with boldness or confidence that he would answer their prayers.
Jesus talked about it as asking, seeking, and knocking.
Jesus encourages a kind of holy boldness, a sharp knocking on the door, an insistent asking, a search that refuses to give up.
That’s what our prayer should be like.
This isn’t just a routine or formal praying, going through the motions as a daily or weekly task.
There is a battle going on, a fight with the powers of darkness, and those who have glimpsed the light are called to struggle in prayer.
That’s the first thing we see in this psalm.
If you need peace?
The way to respond is first to come to God with bold confidence and expectation that he will hear you and answer your prayer.
Don’t come passively; come boldly and expect God to hear you.
2. Pray honestly for those who have wronged you.
That’s a tall order, isn’t it.
Has anyone noticed that everything seems to be great, Fantastic, Wonderful, Peaceful… Until “people” mess it all up?
Isn’t it often people, that make us feel: unsettled, unhinged, un happy, or basically, anything but peaceful.
Listen to how David prays for those who have wronged him.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
As David is praying, he begins to get honest with God about the people who have wronged him.
And what does he say? Three things.
First, in his prayer to God, he tells them off in verse 2. “O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?”
“How long?” implies that David is running out of patience.
They’re dragging his name and reputation through the mud, and David has had enough.
But then he indicts them.
He doesn’t just focus on the damage they’re doing to his name and reputation.
He charges them with loving vain words and seeking after lies.
They’re delusional.
They love what is empty and worthless.
They don’t just engage in worthless activity; they actually hate it.
What they’re doing is harmful and empty.
David has no problem doing this in this psalm.
Second, he reminds himself that God responds to the faithful.
Remember that David’s name is being dragged through the mud.
His honor has been turned to shame.
It probably looks like everyone has abandoned him.
In prayer of being honest to God about those who have wronged him, he is that God has not turned his back on him.
He says, “But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.”
The weapon against those who wrong you is to remember how God regards you, and to hold on to what he has said about you.
So David says to them, in essence, that he might not look like much to them.
He may look like a hitchhiker on the side of the road, or like a dirty farmer.
But God knows who he is.
He is God’s.
God has set him apart for himself.
God hears his prayer.
But finally, David calls for repentance from his enemies. Verse 4 says, “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.”
It’s actually hard to translate the first part of verse 4.
“Be angry” is actually “Tremble with fear.”
David is taking these people to prayer and he says that they should tremble with fear and stop sinning.
They’re in an untenable position rebelling against God.
He tells them to ponder their situation on their bed, to get right with God, to offer the right sacrifices to God, and to trust him.
So David does three things here as he speaks to God about those who wronged him.
He indicts them before God.
He reminds himself that God hasn’t abandoned him; God knows him no matter what others think.
He prays that they realize they need to get right with God.
When you need peace, you need to get honest with God about the people in your life who have wronged you.
David responds in confidence to a God who hears him, but then he also responds in honesty about the people who have wronged him.
3. Find Peace in God
In this Psalm, David is praying out of the midst of rejection and out of the midst of threat.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Now David doesn’t always come to God in prayer this way, this is a time in life where he is really trusting God.
He is really putting his faith in the Lord in the midst of what he is feeling.
He is feeling threats, he is feeling anxiety, he is discouraged, he is in emotional pain, and he has no peace.
David was feeling this, and many others in the Bible were feeling this.
The Apostle Paul felt the same thing in Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Paul says, “Peace of God” and that is very significant.
In Romans 5, Paul said that we are “justified by faith and we have peace with God.”
That means we are reconciled to God.
That is positional peace that has been established—judicial peace, as it were, with God.
We have been exonerated from judgment because of Jesus.
But in Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul is talking about “the peace of God.”
He is talking about the peace of God because we have peace with God.
In the midst of all the difficulties that we may face: the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the stress, we can pray for the peace of God.
David’s already reminded us of who he is in God.
He finishes this psalm by contrasting two ways of relating to God.
In verses 6 to 8, David says: There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
There are two ways of relating to God.
The first way is dependent on circumstances.
People say, “Who will show us some good?”
In other words, the “What’s in it for me attitude?”
This way of relating to God is highly circumstantial.
When things are good, then God is good.
When things are bad, then things aren’t so good with God.
This type of relationship depends on good times, when “grain and wine abound.”
We’ve all been here, haven’t we?
But there’s a different way of relating to God.
This way of relating to God doesn’t depend on circumstances.
David says, “You have put more joy in my heart than when they have their grain and wine abound.”
He then says he’s able to go to bed at night and sleep well despite all the problems. Why?
The end of verse 8 explains why: “For you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
David ultimately finds his safety in God.
This is enough for him.
He has a deep peace despite the circumstances.
Let me remind us all that true faith is confidence in Jesus Christ and his power.
Even when his power does not serve my end, my confidence in him remains because of who he is.
That was the type David says in verse 8: “In peace, I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
Three applications for us this morning.
One: Please realize who you are in Jesus Christ.
If you know Christ, you can have the same confidence that David enjoyed, no matter your circumstances.
You can know that God has set you apart for himself and hears you when you call him.
This will let you know who God is even in the midst of horrible circumstances.
Second: God may be calling some of you to a new level of honesty.
It’s time to tell God the truth about what people are doing to you and how this relates to your walk with him.
Finally, this morning, come to God boldly with whatever you’re facing.
He wants to hear from you.
Take confidence from the fact that he does, and then sleep well tonight, knowing that God makes you dwell in safety no matter what’s happening around you.
How do we respond when we need peace?
With a prayer of confidence in God, and honesty to him, those who have wronged you, and then you can experience peace.
