Day 545: The victory of prayer - Psalm 6

(For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.) 1-3 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? 4-5 Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from his grave? 6-7 I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.

8-9 Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame. Psalm 6 New International Version

This is a Psalm when, once again, David was in deep distress! He was someone who experienced many sorrows in life. Yes, some were his own fault, but often it was due to the hostility of those who sought to tear him down. This is why the Psalms are so loved by God's people because trials and sorrows are a common part of a believers journey. Even of Jesus it was said: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.” (Isaiah 53:3) We're not told what caused David’s trial in this Psalm but vs 4-6 imply it may've been a life threatening illness, and his enemies gleefully waiting for him to die. Whatever it was, we can learn from the prayer it drew from his heart. What was his starting point in vs 1-3?

He starts with humble acceptance that it could be his own sins that led to a distance between himself and God. As another Psalm puts it: “Lord, if you kept a record of sins - who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3) So just as we pray daily for our bread, we should pray daily too for forgiveness.

But he then appeals to God's covenant character, and even dares to reason with God why his prayer should be answered. (vs 4-5) There are other prayers in the Bible where God's people pointed to God's own character and promises as grounds for Him to hear their cries for help. Even a Samaritan lady once came to Jesus for help and Jesus tested her faith by saying: “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” But she replied: “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” And Jesus said: “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” (Matthew 15:26-28) God welcomes good reasons to answer our prayers. It shows faith. So what was the further reason David gave in vs 6-7 to show why he desperately needed God's touch.

He lifts up his own distress and helplessness and the taunts of those who despised God's people. When the life of a man named Lazarus was in danger, his sisters Martha and Mary sent an urgent message to Jesus saying: ‘Lord, the one you love is ill.’ They appealed to Christ's love for His flock. The New Testament book called Hebrews puts it well: “We don't have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses - but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

In vs 8-10 David proclaims the victory his prayers led to because God heard and accepted them. We're not told if he said this 'by faith' before his rescue came, or afterwards. James 1:5-7 says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” We are not being presumptuous when we believe that God has heard our prayers. We are just confident that He will answer them at the time and in the manner He considers best for us. And those who have mocked us will be left ashamed. So as the writer of Hebrews put it: “Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”