The Heart Of Prayer

Psalm 86: The Heart of Prayer

1Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.

4Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.

7In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.

8There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
9All the nations you have made shall

come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
11Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;

unite my heart to fear your name.
Psalms 86:1-11

I. The Foundation of Prayer
(1-7;14-17)

1Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Psalms 86:1

2Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
Psalms 86:2-4

1Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Psalms 86:1

“Humility is an indispensable requisite of true prayer. It must be an attribute, a characteristic of prayer. Humility must be in the praying character as light is in the sun.

Prayer has no beginning , no ending, no being, without humility. As a ship is made for the sea, so prayer is made for humility, and so humility is made for prayer.”
—E.M. Bounds

II. The Focus of Prayer
(8-10; 12-13)

8There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
9All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,

and shall glorify your name.
10For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
Psalms 86:8-10

v.5 —Good and forgiving
vv. 5,15 —abounding in steadfast love (hesed)
vv.8,10 — Unrivaled by other gods

v.10 —Great and doer of wondrous things
v. 15 — Merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in faithfulness.

12I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
Psalms 86:12-13

III. The Fruit of Prayer
(11)

11Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
Psalms 86:11

Our great neediness should drive us to pray to the one true God, who alone can deliver us and unite our hearts to endure difficult times.