How Do You Pray? Part 2 (PM Lesson Outlines)
GIST: Life is hard, so cry out to God, remember His promises, expect His movement, and keep His perspective!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 17
Tonight we’re going to look at the second half of Psalm 17. However, I still want to read the entire passage in context to start off.
"1 A Prayer of David. Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! 2 From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! 3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. 4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. 6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. 7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. 10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. 12 He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush. 13 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, 14 from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. 15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness."
As we pointed out before, this passage can be broken down as follows: He is praying with confidence because he understands his position. He then cries out knowing he’s heard, but desperately needing reminded of that; and he’s looking for God to move because he understands the difference between futility and fulfillment! Tonight, we’re going to look at those last three clauses which are addressed in verses 6-15. The gist? Life is hard, so cry out to God, remember His promises, expect His movement, and keep His perspective!
I. HE CRIES OUT, KNOWING HE’S HEARD
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.
This Is Not An Empty Prayer. As he continues his prayer, he comes knowing he is heard. Like we pointed out this morning, this is not meaningless mummoring. It’s not just articulating your wishes to the non-responsive cosmos. There is a real God who really hears those who cry out to Him. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we can have confidence that our prayers do not fall on deaf ears! Amen!
Still yet, the next verse shows us he cries out knowing this to be true→
II. But Desperately Needing Reminded of That
Look at verse 7, “Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.”
The Crux Of His Current Request: Show Your Love, which I know You will for I am seeking refuge in You. You are my strength (at right hand), and I need that right now because of my adversaries. He asks God to wondrously show His steadfast love. His steadfast love is wonderful, and the next verses break that down even more. “8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.”
Right now, my life is in danger. My worlds is crumbling. I need reminded of the things I just proclaimed. Guard me like the pupil of Your eye. That’s what the actual word is here. The pupil is the sensitive portion of your eye. How has God designed your face to react whenever anything comes near it? Complete lockdown! This really hit home for me because God must have upped that reflex a bit in my case. You should see me try and use eye drops. It’s... embarrassingly comical. But that’s a perfect picture of what David is asking for. God, lock me down. Don’t let anything touch me. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. This is a picture of protection like a mother bird gives her chicks. He can face being surrounded by his enemies if he knows he is first and foremost surrounded by God’s protecting love. He is crying out for these immediate and dynamic displays of love→
Because...Life Is Hard Right Now. Look at his condition in verses 10-12. “10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. 12 He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush.” Here’s what I’m facing. They are boastful; they’re vain. They are everywhere I go. Everywhere I turn, I see them. They have a mission, and it is to pull me down. They’re intentional in their plans, like a lion seeking to devour. Who does that remind you of? Satan! The sinful world is like Satan in its purposes. In the face of that, David needs reminded of the truth he already knows, and →
III. He’s Looking For God To Move
Look at verses 13-14, “13 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, 14 from men by your hand, O LORD,”
This Is A Cry For Sin To Be Stopped! This is not a passive call for indifference. He is asking God to come and cut to the core. His sword is His Word, and "12 ... the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account."(Hebrews 4:12-13) His Word is not passive---it destroys and restores! When we see atrocities, we should cry out for God to move expecting Him to work. He might not work according to our time frame, but He is not impotent! "1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2) Our sin is the problem, but Jesus came to destroy sin!
He is looking for God to move→
IV. Because He Understands The Difference Between Futility and Fulfillment!
In these closing verses we see another contrasting parallel. First, he→
Remembers The Condition Of The Lost. “14b...from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.” The lost are provided for here, but here is the only good they will ever have. Don’t be envious of their success.
Second, he→
Remembers His Condition. “15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness."” He is looking forward to so much more! Enjoyment of God’s favor and intimate communion with Him (William Jay).
TAKEAWAYS
Life is hard→
1. Cry out to God.
2. Remember His promises.
3. Expect His movement.
4. Keep His perspective.
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