Prayer Principles from Psalm 5

I love the Psalms. The psalmist is so real and pours out his heart to the Lord. Through the Psalms I see glimpses of God--His amazing character is highlighted in so many ways. I also see glimpses of myself as the psalmist is honest and transparent about himself. I see areas of sin and weakness, just like me, but I also often see a heart that longs for God, also like me. Many psalms display a close relationship between the psalmist and God, and from these I can learn about growing my relationship with God.

The beginning verses of Psalm 5 give us a glimpse into David's prayer life, and my prayer life can be impacted as I observe some principles from these verses.

Psalm 5:1-3
Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my groaning.
Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, for to Thee do I pray.
In the morning, O Lord, Thou wilt hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch.

The prayer principles I oberved are:

Specificity(vs. 1)- David asks the Lord to give ear to his words. This implies that he has made some specific requests or brought specific situations or people before the Lord. It is easy to fall into generalities when we pray, God bless my world type prayers. I need to make sure my prayers include specifics, not just generalities.

Intensity(vs. 1)--David says consider my groaning, or meditation. He is pouring out his heart to the Lord with intensity, with fervency. His prayer is not casual, or an after thought, or a duty. It is intense.

Dependency(vs. 2)--Here he refers to his prayer as a cry for help. This shows his awareness of his own inadequacy and his dependence on the Lord. The more I see my own need the more I will turn to the Lord in prayer.

Submission(v.2)--David calls God "My King". He sees God as the King, and himself as the servant. This implies that his prayer was for God's will to be done, not for God to grant David's will. I need to make sure my prayers are seeking to align my heart with the Lord's, not asking God to give me what I want.

Intimacy(v.2)--here the reference is to "My God." David was not praying to some abstract spiritual force, he was praying to his God, someone he knew personally. How awesome it is that the God of the Universe, the Creator, the King, gave His Son so that I can have a personal relationship with Him! He has adopted me into His family. My prayers need to reflect this closeness.

Regularity(v.3)--Twice the phrase, "in the morning" is used. This implies that the Lord heard David's voice in the morning on a regular basis. I need to be consistent in my prayer life as well.

Centrality(v.3)--Another implication from morning prayer is that this was central to David's day. He didn't want to begin his day without the Lord as his focus. Whether or not my schedule allows for a lengthy time of prayer every morning, I need to begin each day focusing on the Lord, offering my day to Him, seeking His face and His strength for my day.

Expectancy(v.3)--this section ends with David's commitment to eagerly watch. He expected that God would answer his prayer. He was confident in God. John 5:14-15 says, "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." My prayers need to reflect this same confidence. I must be eager to see how God will answer my prayers.

What a privilege it is to have God's Word. What a privilege it is to pray. Hebrews 4:16: "Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to hep in time of need."