PETITIONS FOR DAILY LIVING

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to You; save Your servant who trusts in You. You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to You all day long. Bring joy to Your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in You.

Psalm 86:1-4

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

David. A shepherd boy chosen by the Lord to be king of Israel.

David. A writer of many psalms.

David. A man after God’s own heart.

David. A sinner who fell short of the grace of God.

David was all of these things and as we look at the opening verses of the 86th Psalm, we see his words reflect who he was – and in many ways, who we are as well. In his writing, we can pinpoint five specific petitions for daily living. They are as follows:

1. Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Our daily relationship with God in predicated in large by our conversations we hold with Him.

I have always held that communication is the lifeblood of relationship. In other words, we simply must communicate to relate to others. When two parties stop speaking, relationship dies like a body that would experience the stopping of a heart and the subsequent flow of sustaining blood.

We can’t expect to have a relationship with God if we never communicate with Him.

We get a sense that David fully understood this for he asked for the Lord to hear him and so his prayers were being lifted up. And David eagerly looked for the Lord to respond and complete their relationship by speaking to him. You see, David saw himself as he was, poor and needy, in want of the riches that come from God and His goodness, grace, and love.

As we lift up our prayers every day, let us ask for God to answer us and grant us the treasures that come from having a relationship with Him.

2. Guard my life, for I am faithful to You.

David had no shortage of enemies, those who would like nothing more than to kill him and assume the throne of power over Israel. He knew he needed protection and thus he faithfully called on the greatest Guard he knew, the Lord Almighty, his Protector, Redeemer, and Friend.

We too face many dangers in the course of our lives, many of which we take for granted. I mean, just getting in the car and driving around the city I live in places one in peril. This is why I pray every day while I’m on the road, asking the Lord to protect and deliver his faithful servant to his destination safely. I pray you do the same.

3. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to You

David wasn’t always obedient to God’s word. He fell into temptation and the end result was adultery, deception, and murder. He showed us that even a man after God’s own heart, a man chosen by God for greatness, can fail and fall if they’re not careful. Anyone can be swayed the wrong way and commit sinful acts, acts that leave that person pleading for the mercy of God. Such was the case with David. Such should be the case with any other sinner who has yet to repent and get their life right with their Lord.

4. Save Your servant who trusts in You. You are my God.

Like David, we’re all sinners that fall way short of God’s favor. Without a Savior, we’re destined for destruction at the hands of God’s wrath. This is why we, like David, should be praying for salvation if we don’t already have Jesus Christ in our life, and thanking God for His salvation promise if we have accepted Jesus, placing our full faith and trust in Him and Him alone as Savior. It is the richest gift from God that we have.

5. Bring joy to Your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in You.

Finally, when we relate to the Lord, praying and receiving His guidance, experiencing His protection and mercy and salvation, we can’t help but be taken to a place of joy. This joy comes from realizing all God has done for us, all He is presently doing, and considering all He is yet to do for us, including the eternal life awaiting us at this life’s end through Jesus Christ His Son. This joy is exceedingly abundant and sustaining when we live our lives in obedience, trusting in God as we comply with His word, will, and way.

Five daily petitions nestled in four verses of scripture. Isn’t God’s word amazing in what it gives us to live? May this message be a blessing to you today and always.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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