A Theology of Prayer - Struggles in Prayer

Study 26

Text: Psalm 7

GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THINGS

How important it is to have a right knowledge of God! The knowledge that we have of the Lord will directly affect the way we pray! Let us ponder the following text carefully.

'Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds."
Psalm 7:9

"Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end…"

David was not merely crying out to the Lord to put an end to the wicked activities of his personal enemies! The basis of his plea was on a far larger premise! He was talking about the very idea of wickedness itself.

There will always be wicked people. There will always be personal enemies who will do wicked things, such as persecution of the innocent! David was concerned about the root of the problem. That root was the nature of wickedness itself!

"But establish the just…"

As David expressed concern about the presence of wickedness, he was as concerned about the establishment of the just. He was not just thinking about how he was being attacked by wicked enemies. He was deeply concerned about the welfare of "the just." They need to be established in their lives by the Lord. They needed the Lord's special grace and blessing in their fight against evil.

"For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds"

How confident was David about God hearing his prayer? The answer is "Very!" He was very certain that God would indeed hear this prayer! Was not the Lord indeed a righteous God? But surely He will hear the prayers of the just who walk in their integrity? Surely, He would not neglect to help the righteous in their hour of need? The wicked will come to an end! When exactly that would happen David was not able to determine! But the knowledge and the trust that he had… they would be sufficient!

CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD

One's confidence can be affected when confronted by wickedness. But that confidence can be strongly bolstered when one engages in meaningful prayer. David's confidence in the Lord grew significantly even as he prayed.

"My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart."
Psalm 7:10

How wonderful it is to have such a sense of confidence in life. That is so badly needed. How wonderful it is to be able to say with great certainty, that God would be our defense, and that He would indeed save the upright in heart! Let us be deeply challenged to cultivate our confidence in the Lord through faithful, meditative prayer!

~ Pastor Charlie Tan ~