Sundays in the Psalms (4)

Sunday in the Psalms  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  42:39
0 ratings
· 19 views
Files
Notes
Transcript

The Assurance of Prayer

Psalms 1–75 Psalm 4: Calm Assurance

“The sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the child of God rests His head at night, giving perfect peace.”

Charles H. Spurgeon

Living our lives as Christians should be done in such a manner that we live with the assurance of God’s sovereignty, knowing that He rules over everything for His glory.
I know at times it feels like the ungodly have dominated the scene.
That should not stop us from remembering that God has chosen us, the children of God, for Himself and He will not forsake us.
This is the central message of Ps. 4.
This is a song that provides a Godward focus in the midst of the storms of life.
This Psalm is often called the evening Psalm.
It was a prayer of trust offered to God at the close of a hard and troubling day.
Many believe that Psalm 3 and 4 when orginally written, they were one continuous psalm.
The reason for this is because Psalm 3 was a prayer expressed in the early morning (3:5) and the fourth psalm was to be offered up to God in the evening (4:8)
If this connection exists, then the background of Psalm 4 is the same as Psalm 3. (The revolt of Absalom)
The title of Psalm 4 is interesting, “to the chief Musician on Neginoth (stringed instrument), A Psalm of David.
As this psalm was sung it was to be accompanied by stringed instruments
the harp and lyre would act as an orchestra
this signifies that David was at peace with his situation because he knew he could rest secure at night because God reigned Supreme.
The Psalmist was confident in God during an hour of desperate need.
It is impossible to express the importance of prayer.
There is no doubt that Prayer is the greatest tool we have available to us.
It is the source of our power;
it is the means of our praise,
and the avenue of our spiritual prosperity.
David was certainly a man of prayer.
He was the king of Israel, and yet he knew on whom he had to depend.
There can be little doubt that David made prayer a priority in his life.
I firmly believe that prayer is the one area that the church is the weakest in today
because we do not truly understand that He hears our prayers and in His soverign way, He answers our prayers.
We have the ability to go to Him and the access to get to him, we just dont have the assurance in Him that he will hear and answer our prayers.
But that was not the case for David.
He knew he had the ability to go to him
He knew he had the access to Him
and He had assurance in Him that He would hear and answer his prayers
so, I want to look at the various aspects of this beautiful prayer of David as we consider: The Assurance of Prayer

I. The Perception of Prayer

(1, 3)
If we are going to have assurance when we pray, we must first realize to whom we are praying.
The very nature of prayer leads us to consider the Almighty God whom we seek.
What should we perceive as we pray?

A. The Righteousness of God

(1a)—Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness.
David is reflecting on the holy and righteous nature of the Lord.
He realizes that God alone is the source of righteousness, even his righteousness.
Were it not for the mercies of the Lord pardoning our sin through the blood of Jesus, we would still be viewed as sinful and condemned.
There is no righteousness within man, nothing we can boast of in ourselves.
All that we are we owe to the Lord and His righteousness.
Our relationship with God through the Son affords us the privilege of prayer.
Without Him we are nothing; with Him we are just sinners saved by grace.
We cannot pray unless we see God as holy!
Prayer is an act of worship.
Who is worthy of worship except the Lord?
I stand amazed that God would love me enough to provide for my salvation and count me as worthy is His eyes.

B. The Faithfulness of God

(1b, 3)—Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. [3] But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
David pondered the difficult times in life.
He considered those times when he faced defeat and even death.
In those times of hardship and pain, God had been faithful.
He had not just kept Him by seeing him through the trials, but God had richly blessed David in those trying times.
There had never been a time that David could remember where God forsook him.
Who among us could say that God has not been faithful?
We likely didn’t understand or appreciate all we endured, but God remained faithful.
Even in trials, He met our needs and we came through stronger.
God has enlarged us!
The saved are not left alone or abandoned.
We have been separated unto the Lord and He hears us when we pray, V. 3.
Isn’t that amazing? God has chosen us and set us aside as His people. We belong to Him. There is nothing that can separate us from the love and provision of the Lord. Rom. 8:35–39.

C. The Graciousness of God

(1c)—Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
Keep in mind whom David is praying to.
He is praying to the Almighty God, the holy and righteous One, and yet he has no hesitation in seeking the mercy and attention of the Lord.
It simply amazes me that God would even consider sinful men.
What could we possibly do to earn or deserve the divine favor of the Lord?
I know that we are in general, morally good people , but we are sinful in need of a Savior
It is not within our nature to seek the ways of God.
There isn’t a one of us who desired to serve the Lord within ourselves.
We were dependent upon God’s mercy and His grace.
We were all deserving of hell, but grace and mercy stepped in where justice was deserved!
When we pray we ought to be reminded of the graciousness of God. We can pray with full assurance that God will hear our prayers and meet our needs. Heb. 4:16
Hebrews 4:16 KJV 1900
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
I don’t have to fear asking my Father anything. I can go to Him with each and every need at any time!

II. The Particulars of Prayer

(2, 4–6)—
David clearly knew to whom he prayed. He enjoyed a proper perception of the holiness and majesty of the Lord.
These verses also reveal to us what David prayed for in particular.

A. Prayer for Conviction

(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.
It is believed that David prayed concerning those who conspired against him with Absalom his son.
He brought his grief and concern before the Lord.
David prayed that God would bring conviction and deal with those who sought his defeat.
I’m sure we have all dealt with a similar situation.
It likely wasn’t as drastic or severe as David’s, but we’ve all experienced an attack from those who sought to undermine our testimony or influence.
Often in the flesh we want to handle it ourselves.
We seek to get even, but we ought to pray instead.
Luke 6:28 KJV 1900
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Rather than getting bitter and seeking a way to get even, pray that God will deal with the hearts of those who wronged you.
Pray that God will convict their hearts. It is futile to hope for a suitable outcome if the Lord isn’t working in their lives.
We can’t change their minds or hearts, but God can.

B. Prayer for Dedication

(4–5)—David also prayed for those whom he loved and trusted.
He prayed that they would commit their lives in submission to the Lord.
This prayer for dedication is two-fold.
It involves:

1. An Honest Examination

(4)—Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
If we get the first aspect of prayer right, we will have no trouble standing in awe of the God.
We will see Him as He is and ourselves as we are.
When I consider all that God is, I see just how small and sinful I am.
David also reveals that we are to commune with God from our own hearts.
We are to seek the Lord and share our hearts with Him, the good and the bad.
It is impossible to pray when we are unwilling to be honest before the Lord.
If we refuse to search our hearts and open them up before Him, then we have not prayed at all.
If there is sin in our lives, it must be dealt with.
If there are concerns or fears, we need to share them with the Lord as well.

2. A Humble Expression

(5)—Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Every time we pray, we ought to be committed to offer worship unto the Lord.
Many times our prayers are consumed with our wants and desires.
We tell the Lord all that is wrong in our lives and we fail to take the time to worship.
It would do you good to go the Lord at times and not ask Him for a thing, just spend some time praising Him and thanking Him for all that He is and all He has done.
At the very least, make sure that every prayer offers worship to the Lord.

C. Prayer for Instruction

(6)—There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Evidently some around David were pessimistic and doubted the provision of God.
David prayed that God would reveal Himself unto them and extend His abundant favor.
We all get discouraged and doubtful at times.
That is simply within our nature, but we must learn to trust the Lord.
He is never pleased when we doubt Him. In times of doubt and discouragement, ask the Lord to lift your heart and show you what He desires for your life. We walk by faith and not by sight.
More times than not we must trust the Lord, because we can’t see all that He is doing or where His path will lead.
I pray every day for the wisdom and guidance of the Lord.
We will never make it if we don’t have the hand of God leading us.
Pray that God will give you wisdom and the ability to allow Him to oversee and lead every area of your life.
We certainly need the guidance of the Lord in these difficult times!

III. The Praise of Prayer

(7–8)—David has perceived the Lord and brought his particular needs before Him, and know he closes his prayer with a personal tone. David likely was reminded of all he had in the Lord as he prayed about the needs of others. He could not end this prayer without taking the time to praise the Lord. He realized:

A. God is our Joy

(7)—Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
Even though his enemies prospered, David realized he was blessed more than they because he had the joy and gladness of the Lord within his heart. They might have enjoyed the abundance of material blessings and even a place of prominence, but he enjoyed the joy of the Lord. I fear that we often take the joy our Lord gives for granted. We are a blessed people. We have much more to be thankful for than the majority of the world. But, my joy doesn’t rest in the material blessings of this life. Those things are nice, but they never satisfy.
One who has the joy of the Lord has a contentment that this world knows nothing of. I have witnessed those who were struggling to get by, maybe their lives were plagued with affliction or disease, but they still had a song in their heart. What allows them to rejoice when it seems that life has brought much difficulty? It is the joy and gladness that only Jesus gives. Praise the Lord for the joy and contentment He brings.

B. God is our Peace

(8)—I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
If this was in fact during Absalom’s rebellion, there would’ve been those who sought David’s life. There would’ve been days when he faced death, but even then David could lie down and sleep with peace in his heart because he knew in whom he believed.
This world doesn’t understand the peace we have in the Lord. Often there are situations we face in life that are beyond our control. There are times when we are uncertain about the future or the outcome of particular circumstances, but even then we have the peace of God within our hearts.
There is much that troubles me about the current environment of our nation. I have no way of knowing what we will face tomorrow or the next day, but I have a peace that passes all understanding. I have put my faith and trust in One who has never failed me. He always brings to pass that which is best for me. The storms of life may rage; there may be valleys to endure and battles to fight, but I am secure in my Lord. I can sleep at night with full assurance in Jesus. If I fail to see the light of another day, I will have just begun to live anyway. Let us be careful to thank and praise the Lord for the joy and the peace that He gives.
Conclusion:
I trust that you have been challenged concerning your prayer life. There is no doubt we all could pray more than we do. We need to become so familiar with prayer that we could not miss that special time with the Lord. It is a special time when we are allowed the privilege to commune and fellowship with our God. Let us make the most of every opportunity to pray. Maybe you just need to come and talk to the Lord right now.
Some points and notes taken from:
Chris Benfield, Pulpit Pages: Old Testament Sermons, 2015, 531–535.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more
Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.