Sunday, September 6 · Independent Presbyterian Church
Dependent Prayer
Because we are weak, vulnerable, and surrounded by trouble, the Psalms teach us to pray: confidently, because God hears, and urgently, because we need him to. Our confidence rests not in prayer itself but in the God who answers it.
The passages
Yahweh, how my adversaries have increased! Many are those who rise up against me. Many there are who say of my soul, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah. But you, Yahweh, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. I cry to Yahweh with my voice, and he answers me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid myself down and slept. I awakened, for Yahweh sustains me. I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who have set themselves against me on every side.
Psalms 3:1–6
Save me, God, by your name. Vindicate me in your might. Hear my prayer, God. Listen to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven’t set God before them. Selah. Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul.
Psalms 54:1–4
Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me. My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They conspire and lurk, watching my steps. They are eager to take my life. Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, God. You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren’t they in your book? Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this: that God is for me. In God, I will praise his word. In Yahweh, I will praise his word. I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Psalms 56:1–11
Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God who accomplishes my requests for me. He will send from heaven, and save me, he rebukes the one who is pursuing me. Selah. God will send out his loving kindness and his truth.
Psalms 57:1–3
Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity. Save me from the bloodthirsty men. For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul. The mighty gather themselves together against me, not for my disobedience, nor for my sin, Yahweh. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me! You, Yahweh God of Armies, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish the nations. Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah. They return at evening, howling like dogs, and prowl around the city. Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?” But you, Yahweh, laugh at them. You scoff at all the nations. Oh, my Strength, I watch for you, for God is my high tower. My God will go before me with his loving kindness. God will let me look at my enemies in triumph.
Psalms 59:1–10
For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people.
Psalms 69:33
Give ear to my words, Yahweh. Consider my meditation. Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for I pray to you. Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.
Psalms 5:1–3
Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea. Give ear to my prayer that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips. Let my sentence come out of your presence. Let your eyes look on equity. You have proved my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me, and found nothing. I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey. As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to your paths. My feet have not slipped. I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech.
Psalms 17:1–6
To you, Yahweh, I call. My rock, don’t be deaf to me, lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings. Give them according to the operation of their hands. Bring back on them what they deserve. Because they don’t respect the works of Yahweh, nor the operation of his hands, he will break them down and not build them up. Blessed be Yahweh, because he has heard the voice of my petitions.
Psalms 28:1–6
Hear, Yahweh, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am godly. You, my God, save your servant who trusts in you. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to the soul of your servant, for to you, Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you. Hear, Yahweh, my prayer. Listen to the voice of my petitions. In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me.
Psalms 86:1–7
Hear my prayer, Yahweh! Let my cry come to you. Don’t hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Turn your ear to me. Answer me quickly in the day when I call.
Psalms 102:1–2
He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,…
Hebrews 5:7
He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray and not give up, saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God and didn’t respect man. A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’ He wouldn’t for a while; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’” The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:1–8
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalms 91:1–2
I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from Yahweh, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalms 121:1–4
Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.
Romans 8:23
For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,…
2 Corinthians 5:2
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,…
1 Timothy 2:5
Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25
My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Go deeper
If God already knows what I need, why does he make me keep asking?
The psalmist asks again and again, and Jesus tells a story about a widow who will not stop knocking. Abraham bargains, Hannah weeps at the door of the tabernacle. None of them are told the asking is unnecessary; they are drawn deeper into the one they are asking.
He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray and not give up, saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God and didn’t respect man. A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’ He wouldn’t for a while; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’” The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:1–8
Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? May it be far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes. What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.” He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.” He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”
Genesis 18:23–32
She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, weeping bitterly. She vowed a vow, and said, “Yahweh of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.” As she continued praying before Yahweh, Eli saw her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!” Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I poured out my soul before Yahweh. Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.”
1 Samuel 1:10–16
He said to them, “Which of you, if you go to a friend at midnight and tell him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,’ and he from within will answer and say, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give it to you’? I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs. “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
Luke 11:5–10
How do I pray when God seems not to be answering?
Psalm 28 is noisy and needy: David asks God not to be deaf, not to be silent, and then ends by blessing a God he has not yet visibly heard from. The waiting itself becomes part of the prayer.
To you, Yahweh, I call. My rock, don’t be deaf to me, lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
Psalms 28:1–2
Hear my prayer, Yahweh! Let my cry come to you. Don’t hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Turn your ear to me. Answer me quickly in the day when I call.
Psalms 102:1–2
How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart every day? How long shall my enemy triumph over me? Behold, and answer me, Yahweh, my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death; lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him;” lest my adversaries rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your loving kindness. My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to Yahweh, because he has been good to me.
Psalms 13:1–6
I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon. You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.” You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Lamentations 3:55–57
Where does confidence in prayer come from when my circumstances haven't changed?
Psalm 3 was written as David ran from Absalom with an army at his back, and he slept. The confidence is not in his strength or his odds; it is in the God whose ear he has.
Yahweh, how my adversaries have increased! Many are those who rise up against me. Many there are who say of my soul, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah. But you, Yahweh, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. I cry to Yahweh with my voice, and he answers me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid myself down and slept. I awakened, for Yahweh sustains me. I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who have set themselves against me on every side.
Psalms 3:1–6
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
Psalms 56:3–4
Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God who accomplishes my requests for me. He will send from heaven, and save me, he rebukes the one who is pursuing me. Selah. God will send out his loving kindness and his truth.
Psalms 57:1–3
Oh, my Strength, I watch for you, for God is my high tower. My God will go before me with his loving kindness. God will let me look at my enemies in triumph.
Psalms 59:9–10
Can I really bring God my tears and my sleepless nights?
Psalm 56 says God keeps count of David's restless nights, puts his tears in a bottle, and writes them in a book. David's troubles are not too small to name, and naming them is what he does before God.
You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren’t they in your book? Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this: that God is for me. In God, I will praise his word. In Yahweh, I will praise his word. I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Psalms 56:8–11
For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people.
Psalms 69:33
He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,…
Hebrews 5:7
Give ear to my words, Yahweh. Consider my meditation. Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for I pray to you. Yahweh, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.
Psalms 5:1–3