Series: Psalms
Title: Four Words Concerning Prayer
Text: Psalm 5: 1-12
Date: September 8, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
What rejoiced my heart in these verses is how David says that none who are unrighteous shall enter into God’s presence (Psalm 5: 4-6.) Yet, in verse 3, he said that God will hear his voice.
The descriptions the Spirit of God gives of the unrighteous in this Psalm is me if left to myself in my flesh. How about you? All we are in our flesh in Adam is: Wickedness, evil, foolish, workers of iniquity, liars (leasing), bloody and deceitful men. Psalm 5: 9 is where Paul quoted from in Romans 3.
Romans 3: 9:…we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 : Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Psalm 5: 10. “Destroy them” means make them guilty. What grace when God makes a sinner fall by our own counsels, to make us conscious that we are cast out in the multitude of our transgressions—to make us know our rebellion is against God alone! God must do it because this is what we are in our flesh, what all flesh is before holy God.
He says, Psalm 5: 4—evil shall not dwell in thy house—Psalm 5: 5--the foolish shall not stand in thy sight. But here is the rejoicing—Psalm 5: 3: David says, “But my voice shalt thou hear.” Psalm 5: 7 David says that God will receive him into God’s presence. How so?
It is so because this is first so of Christ Jesus the Mediator between God and his chosen vessels of mercy. God delights in Christ Jesus for his righteousness sake. The believer has access to God through our Great High Priest, Christ Jesus.
Notice to whom David prays in Psalm 5: 1-2. David prays, “my King and my God”. David is approaching God. David is approaching in Christ Jesus the King. In verse 7 he says, But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: All God’s mercy is in Christ Jesus our Mediator; he says, and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. The temple foreshadowed the holy one Christ Jesus, by whom our prayer and service is accepted of the Father.
This is our great rejoicing always: we have a High Priest who has perfected each one for whom he died by his own blood. In Christ, we have access into the presence of holy God. God will hear our voice because in Christ Jesus those born of his Spirit, redeemed by his blood, are RIGHTEOUS.
Hebrews 8: 1: Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2: A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
Hebrews 9: 11: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12: Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us…24 : For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26: For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 10: 18: Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19: Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20: By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21: And having an high priest over the house of God; 22: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
What joy! If God hears us now as we pray, if we have liberty to come into God presence now being washed in the blood of Christ (which every believer does) it is because right now we are meet—fit—to be partakers with the saints who are already in glory. The believer is perfect in Christ—righteous in Christ—he has perfected forever them that are sanctified.
We do not know how to pray as we ought but the Spirit makes intercession with groaning that cannot be put into words. David said in Psalm 5: 1, Consider my meditation. It is desire of the heart which cannot always be put into words. But Christ intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8: 26: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27: And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Does this rejoice your heart? O, it does mine? Now I want to give you four words to remember as we approach God’s throne of grace in prayer.
I. THE FIRST WORD IS FIRST--Psalm 5: 3: My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD;-
“Morning” implies “first.” The power of the Lord creates willingness to cast all care into his hands--David says, “unto THEE will I pray. When a sinner is made to behold that Christ everlives to make intercession for us—that he has given us this blood-bought privilege of approaching God—the Spirit of our God makes the believer seek him first, continually, early will I seek thee—Christ said, ‘Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” When God speaks life into the soul we begin continually living upon God. We truly “pray without ceasing.” Prayer becomes a state of the heart
When prayer is a mere act, a duty, it is merely a habit, a work, the result of a head-knowledge. But when the Lord is truly all our salvation--prayer is not merely an act, it is “the life of God in the soul”
When we are made to see our total inability to save ourselves and the Power of God to save--we become absolutely dependent upon God to save us for his righteousness sake—to “pray without ceasing”—is to live in dependence upon God continually.
Psalm 5: 8: Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of my enemies—those who observe me, watch to find fault in me, to accuse me—make thy way straight before me.
Illustration: What joy there is in being able to be honest before God, to confess our total inability to save ourselves, to live in complete dependence upon God—child-like faith—that is the spirit of prayer. So the first word is FIRST. Draw nigh to his throne of grace first, continually, without ceasing.
II. THE SECOND WORD IS REVERENCE---Psalm 5: 3:…in the morning will I DIRECT my prayer unto thee,…
The original word means “set in a row”. It is translated in other places “in order.”
Genesis 22: 9: And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.”
When we behold the holiness of God in all it took to redeem us from sin we behold our God is holy. We are given reverence for God.
Psalm 5: 7:…in THY FEAR will I worship toward thy HOLY temple
True prayer is worship of God the Father through his Son, Christ Jesus. And as much as the believer’s prayer is as spontaneous as our heartbeat, it is also with reverence for our God and our King.
Matthew 6: 7: But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8: Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9: After this manner therefore pray ye:
It does not mean we use these exact words but after this manner-note the simplicity and singleness of heart. There are 3 things here: 1: Adoration and submission, 2: Our need and 3. Praise
1. Adoration and submission:
Matthew 6: 9:…Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
2: Our need—this is truly the sum of our needs
Matthew 6: 11: Give us this day our daily bread. 12: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
3. Praise—
Matthew 6: 13:..For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. [glorify thyself.]
Do you see the simplicity and singleness of heart? We do not come with vain repetitions, to be seen of men, because your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. We come in reverence and in order, directing our prayer before holy God. Bless God he hears us in Christ Jesus our Intercessor.
III. THE THIRD WORD IS EXPECTECTATION.
Psalm 5: 3:…And will look up.
It means I will watch and wait. Beholding God’s faithfulness in Christ we have every reason to expect our God to provide.
Most, if not all of our anxiety, our worry, our fretting about things is because we want and we want now! There is something evil in the press of a button! In due time, God will perform his will in order that he might bring glory to his name.
All that I have need his hand has provided!
Expect God to save all his own. Expect God to provide for all his own. Expect God to come again and take us home. Expect God to do so in due time.
Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
Psalm 27: 14: Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
IV. THE FOURTH WORD TO REMEMBER IS JOY
Do you trust the Lord? Do you rejoice? The Spirit of God says,
Psalm 5: 11: Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice. Let them EVER shout for joy.
If we truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we have reason to rejoice, to rejoice continually and to rejoice greatly—to ever shout for joy.
Psalm 5: 11:…because thou defendest them: Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. 12: For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Do you live upon God? Do you look forward to getting alone and pouring out your heart to God? Oh, believer rejoice--in this great liberty—we have liberty, fitness, boldness to come into God’s presence by the blood of Christ Jesus our Lord. In Christ we never call in vain. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning because he hears Christ always.
Remember these words when you approach God’s throne of grace!
1. FIRST
2. REVERENCE
3. EXPECTANCY
4. JOY
Rest here--God will defend all who trust in him. All whom he has made righteous. God is our defence as a shield! God who crowned Christ with endless joy will crown his people with endless joy for Christ’s sake. What a joy! What a reason for rejoicing!
Amen!