Sometimes you say things in a moment and forget that you told them. After Pastor Walt led us so well through Psalm 25, I asked him if he recalled something that resonated with me. I could tell by the puzzled look in his eyes that he didn’t remember saying it. I was almost in awe for a second because such insight flowed from the brother’s mouth like a fount of wisdom…and he didn’t even remember dropping the mic like that!! Granted, this is how I felt. Let me bring to your mind what was very insightful to me. It's short but potent. Remember that Walt asked four questions of the text for our good: 1) To whom will I lift up my soul? 2) For whom will I wait? 3) To whom will I appeal? 4) Whom will I fear? These are the type of questions that will never run dry and are applicable in every season of the soul. Don’t forget these questions, Jubilee. It was during question 3 that Walt highlighted how, in prayer, David BRINGS GOD BEFORE GOD. That was the line right there! In prayer, we bring our sorrows, concerns, questions, appeals, joys, thanksgiving, and praise, among many other things, and we bring GOD BEFORE GOD! In other words, in prayer, we talk to God about who he is in our lives and who he is in the midst of our circumstances. We bring his promises before him in prayer as we look to him to do what he said he would do, which is ours in Christ Jesus. We bring God’s character and promises with us to pray and pray God’s character and promises to him in faith. 2 Samuel 7 is a story that illustrates this tremendous prayer strategy. The LORD just informed David that he would build a house for him through a covenant that would establish David’s kingdom forever (2 Sam 7:1–17). In response, and rightfully so, David offers a prayer of gratitude to the LORD. Let me quote it in its entirety for your mediation. This type of prayer is widespread in Scripture. Once our eyes see it, it will pop up everywhere. I commend this type of prayer to you.
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”
In Prayer, Bring God Before God
Jubilee Fam,
Sometimes you say things in a moment and forget that you told them. After Pastor Walt led us so well through Psalm 25, I asked him if he recalled something that resonated with me. I could tell by the puzzled look in his eyes that he didn’t remember saying it. I was almost in awe for a second because such insight flowed from the brother’s mouth like a fount of wisdom…and he didn’t even remember dropping the mic like that!! Granted, this is how I felt. Let me bring to your mind what was very insightful to me. It's short but potent. Remember that Walt asked four questions of the text for our good: 1) To whom will I lift up my soul? 2) For whom will I wait? 3) To whom will I appeal? 4) Whom will I fear? These are the type of questions that will never run dry and are applicable in every season of the soul. Don’t forget these questions, Jubilee. It was during question 3 that Walt highlighted how, in prayer, David BRINGS GOD BEFORE GOD. That was the line right there! In prayer, we bring our sorrows, concerns, questions, appeals, joys, thanksgiving, and praise, among many other things, and we bring GOD BEFORE GOD! In other words, in prayer, we talk to God about who he is in our lives and who he is in the midst of our circumstances. We bring his promises before him in prayer as we look to him to do what he said he would do, which is ours in Christ Jesus. We bring God’s character and promises with us to pray and pray God’s character and promises to him in faith. 2 Samuel 7 is a story that illustrates this tremendous prayer strategy. The LORD just informed David that he would build a house for him through a covenant that would establish David’s kingdom forever (2 Sam 7:1–17). In response, and rightfully so, David offers a prayer of gratitude to the LORD. Let me quote it in its entirety for your mediation. This type of prayer is widespread in Scripture. Once our eyes see it, it will pop up everywhere. I commend this type of prayer to you.
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”
2 Sam 7:18-29
Much grace to you Jubilee,
Pastor Lew