Sundays in the Psalms (5)

Guided by Prayer: Seeking Divine Direction

Bible Passage: Ps 5:1–12

Application: This encourages believers to rely on prayer as a source of guidance in their lives, particularly in challenging times. It reminds them that God listens attentively to their cries and that seeking His wisdom can lead to clarity and peace amidst confusion or adversity.

Summary: In Psalm 5, the psalmist expresses a heartfelt prayer for guidance, seeking God’s attention and intervention in the face of wickedness and injustice. The psalm highlights the importance of establishing a relationship with God through prayer and trusting in His righteous judgment.

Teaching:

this passage focuses on the vital role of prayer in the believer's life.

It emphasizes that sincere prayers can lead to divine guidance, help discern right from wrong, and fortify one's faith against adversities.

How this passage could point to Christ:

Psalm 5 connects to the broader narrative of Scripture, where Christ is the ultimate source of guidance and righteousness.

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus leads His followers through life's challenges, embodying the perfect answer to the psalmist's prayer for direction.

Big Idea:

Through earnest prayer, we find divine guidance and strength to navigate a world filled with challenges and injustice, trusting in God’s righteousness for our lives.

1. Pray with Purpose

Psalm 5:1-3

With a heart open to God, David sets the tone for seeking divine guidance.

Like David, we should adopt a posture of earnestness or purpose in our prayer life,

trusting in God for insight and clarity right from the start of each day.

A. The Plea in the Prayer

“Give ear to my words O Lord, consider my meditation [prayer], Hearken unto the voice of my cry” (Psalm 5:1, 2).

If God does not pay attention to our prayers, they will be vain. But God does notice; He hears our prayers. David is not pleading in vain. In fact, Scripture exhorts us to pray with the encouragement that God hears and answers (Jeremiah 33:3; Matthew 7:7).

B. The Person of the Prayer

“My King, and my God” (Psalm 5:2).

David wisely gives honor to the One He asks to consider his prayer. If we want the Lord to honor our requests, we must honor Him. The honor in our text is twofold.

• Obedience. “King.”

The “King” represents authority, and to acknowledge the Lord as King says you will be obedient.

If we want God to do as we have prayed, we need to do as He has commanded.

• Obeisance. “God.”

This says David worships the One to Whom he is praying.

Successful praying involves worship.

John G. Butler, Psalms, Analytical Bible Expositor, (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2012), 6:31.

C. The Period of Prayer

“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning … in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee” (Psalm 5:3).

Praying in the morning does not prohibit praying at other times but says that prayer has a high priority in life, for one begins the day speaking to God.

To have purpose in prayer we need to remember who it is that we are coming before and coming to him in the morning hours, signifies how important it is for you to get direction for your day.

2. Perceive Divine Holiness

Psalm 5:4-6

David has already given God honor by how he addressed Him, but here David speaks of some of the character attributes of God which give honor to God.

We must honor God in our prayers if we want God to pay attention to our prayers.

The way some pray, God is just a big buddy, the “man upstairs,” etc. This does not give proper honor to God.

In these verse, David contrasts the nature of God with the wickedness of the world.

David Emphasizes that understanding God’s holiness brings peace and guidance.

In a world filled with falsehood and instability, we can find stability in God’s unwavering righteousness.

To be Guided through prayer we must not only have purpose in prayer, we must precieve who God is in prayer by understanding His Divine Holiness.

We can do this first by understanding

A. God Rejects

Our God does not delight in wickedness.

He takes zero pleasure in evil.

A holy God, who is just and righteous in who he is and in all that he does, has no pleasure in the wicked person.2

Such a person is seen as wicked in both character and conduct. Psalm 34:21 says such persons

Psalm 34:21 (KJV 1900)

…they that hate the righteous…

“Neither shall Evil dwell ” with our God.

Even a temporary visit with him is impossible and out of the question.

As Habakkuk 1:13 says His eyes are too pure to look on evil.

Evil will never be welcomed or at home with God.

B. God Hates

God “hatest all workers of iniquity”

These words take my breath away.

The God who loved the world (John 3:16) hates.

This verse emphasizes actions done by the wicked.

In our being created in His image and in His desire that none should perish, He loves the world that He created for himself

But when they function as workers of evil and wickedness, God has nothing but wrath, righteous anger, for them.

The wisdom of Proverbs 6:16–19 can help us understand this psalm since it also focuses on wicked actions. There we read,

Proverbs 6:16–19 (KJV 1900)

These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.

Sam Storms reminds us, “Have you considered that to pray ‘Thy kingdom come’ (Matt 6:10) is to invoke divine judgment on all other kingdoms and all those who oppose the reign of God?”. James Adams adds, “When we pray as Jesus taught us, we cry out to God for his blessings upon his church and for his curses upon the kingdom of the evil one” (War Psalms, 52).

Finally, Steve Lawson’s comment is also helpful: “God rejects all who reject him. This is a Hebraism that contrasts love and hate, which communicates acceptance and rejection” (Psalms, 38). 2

To truly love God is to reject all that is evil. God hates sin, and so should we.

C. God Destroys

The Lord will “destroy those who speak Leasing (lies)”

Those who slander and speak falsely reveal the nature of their hearts through their tongues.

God will not entertain them.

He will not allow their wicked words to go unpunished.

Simply put, he will destroy them in righteous, holy, and just judgment.

Our Lord abhors (to turn oneself away) “bloody and decietful men” both the bloodthirsty (lit. “the man of blood”) and the deceitful.

The bloodthirsty murder with their hands.

The deceitful murder with their tongues.

Both are violent and treacherous acts.

The Lord hates and will destroy all who live lives of such evil and wickedness.2

3. Path to Righteousness

Psalm 5:7-8.

The word but in verse 7 places verses 7–8 in strong opposition to verses 4–6.

David returns to discuss the one who seeks the Lord in prayer (vv. 1–3).

We discover he is also the one who seeks the Lord’s house, his mercy, and his guidance.

The Lord will take pleasure in this kind of person. 2

A. Fear God

If we are seeking divine direction in our lives, we need to fear God like David did.

He wrote, as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy.

This great mercy is God’s unconditional love by which he receives sinners who repent and believe.

Knowing how unworthy he was, David wrote, In thy fear (reverence) will I worship (bow down) toward your holy temple.

Not claiming any self- righteousness, he trembled because he recognized that he approached God solely on the basis of God’s grace.3

B. Follow God

Then David petitioned God, submitting to his will, by saying, Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness.

This was a prayer in which he sought divine guidance into God’s will.

The Lord will never lead people into sin but only down paths of righteousness.

David asked that the way of God’s guidance would be level and smooth, free from temptations and obstacles of sin: Make straight your way before me.3

4. Perception of the World

This may sound elementry, but if we are going to have divine direction in our lives, we must have the right perception of the world.

A. They are godless

David knew that nothing they say can be trusted.

He knew that at the heart of every man was wickedness.

Jeremiah tells us that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.

Their mouths were wicked because their hearts were filled with destruction.

Jesus said that a destructive tongue speaks from a destructive heart (Matt. 12:35–37; 15:18–19).

David knew they will do what they have to to get their way

The world is godless and a child of God has know business listing to it if it is seeking divine direction in their life.

B. They are guilty

With a burst of holy indignation, David calls them out.

He says, Declare them guilty.

This was not a selfish request for God to judge them guilty becasue of what they had done to him.

This was a holy zeal knowing the holiness of God and knowing that they were guilty not becasue of him but becasue of what they had done and spoken of God.

Yes David wanted God to make right the wrongs that had been done to him, but the real driving issue in his heart was their rebellion against God.

The world is godless and guilty and one day God will send divine wrath upon it.

To have divine direction in our lives we must have the right perception of the world

5. Praise Him

Psalm 5:11-12

David considered the assurance and joy that came from trusting in God’s protection.

Just like David we need to find refuge and joy in God's faithful care.

This is a reminder to all of us, of the blessings that flow from a life committed to righteous living and steadfast prayer, trusting Christ as the ultimate source of peace.

The perspective of those who seek God in prayer, cling to his mercy, and seek his guidance appears again in verses 11–12.

These final verses, like the ones at the beginning of the psalm, look to the Lord.

They consider the blessings that come to those who approach Him as their King and their God.

They can “rejoice”; indeed, they can “shout for joy forever.”

A. He Will Protect Those Who Trust Him

Those who put their trust in the Lord are called to rejoice.

Why?

Because the Lord will “defend them.”

He will defend and protect,

Those who trust the Lord can trust him to be their refuge, their divine protector.

Like a great eagle spreading her wings over her young, so our great God and King spreads his covering of protection over those who seek him in prayer, depend on his mercy, ask for his guidance, and trust in his protection.

B. He Will Bless Those That Love Him

Because they love the one who is righteous (v. 8), they will pursue righteousness.

This is the place of divine blessing.

Such blessing is to be surrounded with God’s favor like a shield, one that provides 360-degree protection.

Conclusion

If we are to have divine direction in our daily lives we need to pray with purpose, we need to precieve His holiness, we need to seek the pathway to righteousness, we need to have the right perception of the world and we need to simply Praise Him because He protects those that trust him and blesses those that love him.

1. John G. Butler, Psalms, Analytical Bible Expositor, (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2012), 6:30.

2. J. Josh Smith and Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 1–50, eds. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2022), 40.

3. Steven Lawson, Psalms 1–75, ed. Max Anders, Holman Old Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2004), 11:38–39.