Going to Him with Confidence

This Sunday my church is going into a time of prayer and fasting. For 21 days the whole church will be using these first days of 2019 to seek God and draw closer to Him. As I think about what this means for me, how I should fast and the types of prayers I should pray, King David comes to mind.

As I read through the Psalms, I can't help but sometimes picture David as a persistent, unrelenting toddler. I can picture him just like my two year old tugging at me and insisting on my attention until I finally give in and sit down, put my coffee down, and play cars, even though it's bedtime and I'm exhausted. David was unrelenting in his insistence on God's attention and he got it!

Here are the first verses out of a block of chapters showing David's persistence.

• Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)
• Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength. (Psalm 54:1)
• Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily...Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:1-2, 17)
• Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; fighting all day he oppresses me. (Psalm 56:1)
• Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. (Psalm 57:1-2)

David knew where his help "cometh" from and boldly prayed for it.

David prayed scary prayers born out of his need for protection. His prayers showed ultimate trust in God.

• Arise, O Lord, confront him, cast him down; deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword...(Psalm 17:13) 
• Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)
• You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me. In God (I will praise His word), in the Lord (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 56:8-11) 
• Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not come into Your righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. (Psalm 69:27) (wow...)

Lastly, David knew how to praise God. This is something I can't forget to do as I pray and fast. Here are some praises from David.

• Sing to God, sing praises to His name; extol Him who rides on the clouds, by His name Yah, and rejoice before Him. (Psalm 68:4)
• Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! (Psalm 68:19)
• I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves. (Psalm 69:30-31)

David had confidence in our God, just like a child has confidence that his parent will provide him nourishment, protection, and sound direction. Even Jesus taught us to have a child-like faith. "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3) Let us be as confident as a child when we pray and earnestly believe that God hears us.

I'm excited to see what God has in store for 2019.