3 Essentials to Prayer

Read Psalm 86.

This is a prayer from King David.  Interesting, how many of the Psalms were written as a result of a threat.  We do our best praying when we realize that we cannot help ourselves and must cast our complete dependence upon God.  Follow David's thoughts as he asked the LORD to intervene.  These are essential components to seeing our prayers answered.

1. The condition of David.
The prayer came from a confident, yet humble heart.  His confidence was based upon his position and practice before God.  In verse 2, he said, "I am godly."  In other words, he did nothing wrong to bring this trouble.  He felt helpless in his ability to deliver himself.  He needed the LORD to act on his behalf.  He asked God to hear him, to spare him, to extend grace to him, and to teach him.

2. The commitment of David.
He recognized that there was still much to learn about being all that God wanted him to be.  His desire went further than the immediate help and asked "teach me."  How precious that part of the prayer must have sounded in the ears of the LORD!  What did he need to learn?  "Unite my heart to fear your name" (v.11).  James wrote that a double-minded prayer will not be answered (James 1:5-8)  The evidence of one with a whole heart for the LORD includes living according to God's truth and giving glory to His name (vv.11-12).

3. The character of God.
The basis of this entire prayer is the essence of who God is.
-"good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love" (v.5)
-"There is none like you..."  "You alone are God." (vv.8, 10b)
-"All the nations you have made..." (v.9)
-"You are great and do wondrous things." (v.10)
-able to deliver souls from eternal torment (v.13)
-"merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." (v.15)
-able to show favor, help, and comfort (v.17)

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all..." (1 Timothy 2:5-6)