David’s Prayer of Thanks [2 Sam.7]

Lord All-Powerful, my family and I don’t deserve what You have already done for us, and yet You have promised to do even more. Is this the way you usually treat people? I am your servant, and You know my thoughts, so there is nothing more that I need to say. You have done this wonderful thing, and You have let me know about it, because You wanted to keep your promise.

Lord All-Powerful, You are greater than all others. No one is like you, and you alone are God. Everything we have heard about you is true. And there is no other nation on earth like Israel, the nation you rescued from slavery in Egypt to be your own. You became famous by using great and wonderful miracles to force other nations and their gods out of your land, so your people could live here. You have chosen Israel to be your people forever, and you have become their God.

And now, Lord God, please do what you have promised me and my descendants. Then you will be famous forever, and everyone will say, “The Lord God All-Powerful rules Israel, and David’s descendants are his chosen kings.” After all, you really are Israel’s God, the Lord All-Powerful. You’ve told me that you will let my descendants be kings. That’s why I have the courage to pray to you like this, even though I am only your servant.

Lord All-Powerful, you are God. You have promised me some very good things, and you can be trusted to do what you promise. Please bless my descendants and let them always be your chosen kings. You have already promised, and I’m sure that you will bless my family forever.

A Prayer For Those Feeling Helpless

 

David Flees Jerusalem

LORD, I am poor and helpless; I am sad and broken-hearted. I feel like my life is over; fading quickly like the evening shadows. I feel unimportant, like a bug that someone brushes away. My knees are weak from fasting and I have lost weight from worrying. My enemies insult me; they make fun of me in public. They look at me with contempt and then shake their heads. LORD God help me! Show me your faithful love and save me! Then the unbelievers who mock me will know that it was by Your power that I was delivered. LORD, your blessing will overshadow the curses of the enemy. I am under constant attack but You are my defense and my shield. Enable me to rejoice in my great salvation and give me a humble spirit of gratitude. I am not ashamed to confess your goodness and grace. You stand by the helpless and You save us from death and destruction.

{Psalm 109 is an imprecatory Psalm but some believe that David is telling us how his enemies were praying curses on him: at the end of the Psalm, you will find this prayer which is not imprecatory. [pronouncing a curse]

The Servant’s Prayer

Father, You know that I am only a servant. The only authority that I have is that which is given to me by the Lord Jesus. I can not command unless I first obey. You are the prime mover, I am the moved. You make things happen by the power of Your word and Your will. You speak and things happen. This is why You are great, infinitely great! This is why there is no one like You. You have the awesome power to deliver us from the bondage of sin. You have called us out from a world of darkness and given us a future and a hope. Father it is my desire that You be honored by my humble devotion to Your will. I have no will but Thine; Your will has become mine. You are the LORD God almighty; the great I AM, the self-existent eternal One, creator of heaven and earth. My faith and my hope is rooted in Your word. You kept every promise that you made to Abraham and to David and I have every assurance that you will keep Your promises to me. It is true that all men are liars but You are true and faithful and you will remain so throughout eternity. I thank You and I praise You for Your faithfulness.

David’s Prayer I Chronicles 29

“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel,may you be praised forever and ever!  Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.

“O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace. “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you!  I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.

 “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.”