Friday, June 27, 2025
Pray with Confidence – Psalm 86 Submitted by Kay Crumley
Last Sunday’s sermon and this week’s devotionals that correspond are on prayer. How do we pray? When do we pray? Prayer is a spiritual habit we may be familiar with but are we comfortable with it? As a Bible study leader, I often pray for our group. I offer to others to lead but most are hesitant to pray in front of other people. If prayer is conversation with God who is our most trusted companion, should we be embarrassed to let others overhear that conversation? We are all witnesses to the fact that, today with mobile phones in public places, many conversations happen with anyone in earshot hearing all that one side of the conversation. Most people are not self-conscience about those conversations. When we pray to our Heavenly Father, we express our heart to Him and it’s ok for others to hear.
One way to pray, when we don’t know how or where to start, is to find a Psalm that relates to our emotions or circumstances and pray the words or the ideas in our own words to the Father. I have chosen verses from Psalm 86 as an example.
David, the psalmist, is expressing his dependence on God. It is a song of lament and petition. David is sharing his fears and desires to the One who can intervene on his behalf. He began by acknowledging his need for God, praising His graciousness and forgiveness.
Then he begs God to hear his cries and answer him in his distress. Haven’t we all had seasons in our lives when we just need to be heard? If you’re at that time now, take these two verses, insert your personal needs and make this your prayer. You can expand it with specifics but using this framework may help you to begin the prayer of your heart just as David did.
6 Lord, hear my prayer;
listen to my cries for mercy.
7 I call on you in the day of my distress,
for you will answer me.
Later in that same chapter David petitions God to be near, intimately, with him as he seeks His truth, commits himself to Him, and praises Him. These are common human emotions. These verses fit our lives every day. Our current sermon series Deeper just finished the third habit, Prayer. But the first two habits are Worship and Bible Engagement. As I look at these verses, I see that David wanted to learn from Him, that’s Bible Engagement for us. We learn His character and purpose by engaging in His Word.
11 Teach me your way, Lord,
and I will live by your truth.
Give me an undivided mind to fear your name.
Then he turns to Worship as he praises God for who He is, the Eternal Father. He then seeks to be near Him. David doesn’t want to be separated from God in the wilderness or by death. We know we have a future with Him, but do we praise Him that He has rescued us from the pit?
12 I will praise you with all my heart, Lord my God,
and will honor your name forever.
13 For your faithful love for me is great,
and you rescue my life from the depths of Sheol.
As we grow in our faith, we need to have examples to guide us in developing and practicing spiritual habits so that we can grow deeper in relationship with Christ. By finding examples of Biblical prayers, we can find ways to become more confident in our talks with Him. We have His Word so that we can grow into a deeper, more intimate, and more comfortable relationship with the One who seeks that relationship with us.
