Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 191

Prayers of the Old Testament
The Prayer of David continued...

When we know and trust God, we can’t help but inquire of Him. Each time Israel did not inquire of the Lord regarding something it always ended up being to their detriment. Even when they thought they were getting the good end of the deal, when it was all added up and the final tally was done, they were still at a loss.

God has a better vantage point than we do. He sees beyond what we can see, and if something seems good to us, but seems bad to God, trust that God can see farther down the line than you, and can better ascertain whether the experience will end up being a positive or negative one.

Isaiah 30:1, “Woe to the rebellious children,’ says the Lord, ‘who take counsel but not of Me, and who devise plans but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin.’”

God’s desire is that we take counsel of Him, and make plans by His Spirit. Only when we are dependent on His guidance, can we be certain of our destination, and know the path upon which we are walking is according to His will.

David inquired of the Lord whenever he needed to make a decision, and if he had inquired of the Lord in other areas of his life, perhaps there would be no blemish to speak of on his journey.

It matters not how wise your human counselors might be, it matters not how good the advice you received from friends or family is, God always knows best. Even if God’s counsel stands in stark opposition to the counsel of those you trust do as God instructs, and you will see the benefit and wisdom of doing what God commands sooner rather than later.

From David we learn time and again that prayer is dialogue with God. Because of what prayer is, it ought not to be cumbersome to us, nor ought we to view prayer as a chore. Prayer is a privilege, an honor, and a grace which we the children of God are given, and understanding the beauty of what prayer was, David was consistent in being in God’s presence and inquiring of Him.

There are times when not inquiring of God leads to lifelong consequences. Whether to sell one’s home in lieu of a nicer one, to quit one’s job for the promise of a better one, to marry or not to marry, when we make such decisions without inquiring of God, if we make the wrong choice, the consequences of our singular action can stretch on for decades.

It is the epitome of foolishness to trust in our own wisdom, when the source of all wisdom stands ready to counsel us, and answer our queries.

It would be something wholly different if we had no one to run to, if we had no one to inquire of, if we were left on this rock all by ourselves with no hope, no future, and no direction, but God is listening, and His heart desires fellowship with His creation.

Failing to inquire of the Lord can be likened to attempting to write a sonnet, having Shakespeare standing next to you, and not bothering to ask his advice.

God knows best, He always has, He always will, and if we want the best for our lives, then we must humble ourselves, admit we don’t know it all, and inquire of Him as to what course to take and what path to follow.

Perhaps it was the volume of time David spent in the presence of the Lord, and how often he inquired of the Lord that elevated his prayers to something akin to poetry.

Not only did David inquire of the Lord often and with regularity, the words he used in his prayers, and the way in which he praised and magnified God, are wondrously beautiful.

David was a man of action, but he was also a man of words. Having written over half of the psalms included in the Book of Psalms, his tender heart toward God is revealed time and again.

When he sinned, he was quick to humble himself into the dust, and repent before God, but when God showed him favor, David was also quick to bow before the Lord and bring prayers of thanks before Him.

In this, we have another practical lesson we must learn from the life of David. From David’s life we learn to spend time in the presence of God not only when we need to repent of something, petition God for something, or intercede on behalf of someone, but also when He has been good to us, when He has blessed us, and when He has shown us favor.

Seeing as every breath is a gift, and every sunrise and sunset a reason to thank the Lord, seeing as every meal, every article of clothing and the fact we have a roof over our heads is all due to Him, we ought not to allow a single day to go by without thanking Him for His many blessings.

David had learned the art of being thankful to God for all things. Even after being anointed king, David did not forget his small and meager beginnings. He did not forget he had been a sheepherder, and every grace God showed him, every favor bestowed upon him, was a reason to be thankful to God and in awe of Him.

As wise children, we must be in awe of God’s grace and favor toward us every day of our lives. We can take nothing for granted, or assume we’re entitled to anything. Everything from our health, to our spouses, to our children, to our homes, to our jobs are a gift from the hand of God, and we must treat them as such.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.