Hold Me Together

Service Notes:

Time of prayer for Michael Turner during the missionary prayer

Reminder of Levis’s Luau

Psalm 86 (AV)

A Prayer of David. 1 Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. 3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. 4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. 6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. 8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. 9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. 10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. 11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. 12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. 13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. 14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them. 15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. 16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. 17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

Introduction:

Give out hand out / Korean BBQ

Need to know you are hearing from God. Life changing. Not just a nice talk.

Address God as you come to him in prayer. This is sometimes combined with complaint.

Please listen

Psalm 86:1 (AV)

1 Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

Psalm 86:6 (AV)

6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

Never take for granted out our access in prayer.

We come based upon the name and finished work of Christ.

We come to our Heavenly Father who is worthy of all honor

If He does not hear us we will not receive the help we so desperately need/

We should demonstrate a reverential urgency in our prayers.

Common for David to ask this.

Psalm 4:1 (AV)

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.

Psalm 17:6 (AV)

6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

Psalm 27:7 (AV)

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

When we come to God as we should in prayer we are mindful of how wonderful it is to be heard by Him.

Never take for granted what it takes to go to the Father in the name.

Never forget unless we are heard by Him we are without hope.

Our prayers should have a sense of reverential urgency.

Position of our hearts

Psalm 86:1 (AV)

1 Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

Psalm 86:6 (AV)

6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

Bring Your Complaint

Identify in blunt language the specific pain or injustice. Why or how is often part of the complaint.

Psalm 86:14 (AV)

14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.

God you have heard every unfair word, and you know how I’ve been misunderstood. I’m upset. I’m defensive. I want to strike back with more words. I don’t feel like they care. It doesn’t end. I don’t know what to do.

Recognize to whom you are speaking.

There is no God like our God

Psalm 86:8 (AV)

8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

One day every knee will bow before our God

Psalm 86:9 (AV)

9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

Ask Boldly

Specifically call upon God to act in a manner that fits his character and resolves your complaint.

Hebrews 4:16 (AV)

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Keep me Lord

Psalm 86:2 (AV)

2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.

David knew what it was like to call on God as a refuge.

Psalm 18:2 (AV)

2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Be gracious to me

Psalm 86:3 (AV)

3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.

This should be our prayer.

1 Peter 5:8 (AV)

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Jude 24–25 (AV)

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Help my heart do what I know it should do; rejoice.

Psalm 86:4 (AV)

4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

God commands us to have that kind of joy in him

Psalm 32:11 (AV)

11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Philippians 4:4 (AV)

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Sometimes we have to say this to our hearts.

Teach me

Knowing the truth is not the end of God’s plans for everything you learn about him. He wants to see the truth come alive in you — in your priorities, in your relationships, and in your heart. - Segal

Psalm 86:11 (AV)

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

A promise is made: I will walk in thy truth

Ask God to hold us together.

Ask God to help you have an undivided loyalty to Him.

Psalm 86:11 (AV)

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

James says that one must ask wisdom from God in faith, not doubting, or else the “double-minded” man will be “unstable in all he does”

Strengthen me

Psalm 86:16 (AV)

16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.

Help me by reminding me of your presence in this situation

Psalm 86:17 (AV)

17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

Token for good / Not prove your lo

ve

· Answers to prayer are a sign for good (verse 1, Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me).

· Preservation of character is a sign for good (verse 2, for I am holy).

· Deliverance from trouble is a sign for good (verse 2, Save Your servant who trusts in You!).

· Joy in a surrendered life is a sign for good (verse 4, Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul).

· A sense of forgiveness is a sign for good (verse 5, You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive).

· Confidence in God is a sign for good (verse 7, For You will answer me).

· Knowing and declaring the greatness of God is a sign for good (verse 10, For You are great, and do wondrous things).

· With proud and violent men as enemies, it is a sign for good (verse 14,

Another understanding of this expression: “Put Your mark of goodness on me, so that all can see that I am Yours and You will deliver me.”

Choose to Trust

Affirm God’s worthiness to be trusted, and commit to praising him.

Psalm 86:8 (AV)

8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

Psalm 86:12 (AV)

12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

Psalm 86:13 (AV)

13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Psalm 86:15 (AV)

15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Psalm 86:17 (AV)

17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

Holpen - to be held from falling off a cliff.