Psalms 119:145-152

“I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.” (v.145)

The psalmist resorts to prayer quite often in the Psalms. Much of the Psalms is prayer-like. Here he teaches us, as he reaches out to God, that we must cry out with our whole heart unto Him. God hears these heart-felt prayers. Much is said and taught about prayer, specifically long praying, but David sees here the need for quality in our prayers, and not only quantity of prayer. Not many of his prayers seemed long, but they had a lot of power! Prayer laced with humility and repentance is powerful prayer indeed. Perhaps this is what James meant by the “fervent prayer of a faithful man” that availeth much. David cried, “Hear me O LORD,” and I am sure the Lord heard him. Spurgeon puts it best in his commentary on Psalms, “This section is given up to memories of prayer. The Psalmist describes the time and the manner of his devotions, and pleads with God for deliverance from his troubles. He who has been with God in the closet will find God with him in the furnace. If we have cried we shall be answered. Delayed answers may drive us to importunity; but we need not fear the ultimate result, since God's promises are not uncertain, but are “founded for ever.” The whole passage shows us: How he prayed (Psa_119:145). What he prayed for (Psa_119:146). When he prayed (Psa_119:147). How long he prayed (Psa_119:148). What he pleaded (Psa_119:149). What happened (Psa_119:150). How he was rescued (Psa_119:151). What was his witness as to the whole matter (Psa_119:152).”

Prayer is our in road to God, and prayer is our greatest weapon against evil. It is also our greatest defense. We need to spend much time there, but more so, spend much of our heart there, in the closet of prayer. When our life is in turmoil, we pray our best prayers; prayer that is a result of a crying heart, an aching heart, holds a lot of weight with the Lord. Why not learn to “feel” your prayers, from the heart, instead of much of the fancy and vain words we like to render publicly? Let’s learn to get hold of God in prayer.

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