Psalm 143 — How to Pray

A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my supplications:
In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgement with thy servant;
For in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul;
He hath smitten my life down to the ground:
He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all thy doings:
I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I spread forth my hands unto thee:
My soul thirsteth after thee, as a weary land. Selah
7 Make haste to answer me, O LORD; my spirit faileth:
Hide not thy face from me;
Lest I become like them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning;
For in thee do I trust:
Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;
For I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies:
I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God:
Thy spirit is good; lead me in the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake:
In thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in thy lovingkindness cut off mine enemies,
And destroy all them that afflict my soul;
For I am thy servant.

From a place of trouble, David reaches his voice to God in a prayer that is, for us, a good example and model for meditation.

He needs God's mercy because of God's own judgment, something no one can endure without God's own help. He needs God's help because, whether the sin be his or another's, he understands that his delicate position is still held in God's own hand. He worships God with remembering. He remembers the days of old, the doings of God, the works of his hands and, no doubt, their relationship to his own life.

Finally, in David's petitions to God, we learn a lot about our need for humility. He prays that he will not be hidden from God's sight. He prays for God's lovingkindness because he puts his trust in God. He prays to know how to walk rightly, to be taught to do God's will and to be led by God's spirit. His prayer for revival is that it be in God's own name.

Yes, these are all blessings that will be for the good of David's life, but did you notice the humility and submission in the requests? Did you notice that in all these blessings, David is praying for God to tell him what to do and how to be?

For what do we ask when we are in trouble?