Five Prayer Requests from King David

Prayer: it’s the hardest ‘easy’ thing in the world. Anyone can do it, at any time, for any reason. Yet somehow, we struggle to pray obediently and effectively, even when offered astonishing blessings. Perhaps it is time to pay attention to King David, one of the most effective ‘pray-ers’ in the Bible. These five petitions from the Hebrew monarch will challenge you in your prayer life and remind you of your most significant needs.

Pray for Your Guilt to be Pardoned

“For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.” (Psalm 25:11)

After David sinned with Bathsheba, he penned Psalm 51 to seek God’s forgiveness. Yet we often forget that David prays for forgiveness more than once. In Psalm 25, for example, He cries, “Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions” (v. 7)) and “forgive all my sins” (v. 18).

Unlike other ancient near-eastern monarchs, who believed that they were divine incarnations, David recognized that he was under the rule of God. He also recognized his own shortcomings, and he believed that the blessing of humanity is a reconciled relationship with God.

In his prayers for forgiveness, David utilized arguments and logic, trying to humbly persuade God to forgive him. Yet his ‘reasoning’ is quite curious. “Pardon my guilt, for it is great” – David does not argue like a modern lawyer, trying to persuade God to ‘forget’ a ‘minor offense.’ Instead, he owns the enormity of his crimes and asks for full-fledged forgiveness.

Pray to Spend Your Lifetime in God’s House

“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)

For David, the dwelling place of God is the place where God answers prayer (see Psalm 3:4). But it is more than that: it is also the place where one experiences all the blessings of relationship with God, astounded by his beauty and holiness (Psalm 63:1-3, 65:4). It is a place of spiritual refuge and peace (Psalm 61:4).

Of course, not anyone can enter your residence, and neither can anyone enter God’s residence. Only those who are his friends are allowed this privilege. That is why David doesn’t take it for granted. Maybe your biggest need is not a list of prayer requests, but entrance into God’s dwelling.

Pray for Continued Mercy

Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. (Psalm 25:6)

David was in the habit of recounting great difficulties, and then remembering how God had rescued him. In Psalm 18, for example, David recounted how, “The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.” Then he explains what he did: “In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help.” The response was nothing short of astounding: “From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.”

For the mercies that you now have, give thanks to God. Remember how he has delivered you from all troubles. For the troubles that you now have, seek his mercy. Remember that he is able to deliver you again. Above all, don’t take mercy for granted. You only breathe because God continues to mercy you. The best news is, God’s mercy is boundless: “Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds” (Psalm 36:5).

Pray for Deliverance from Your Enemies

“Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me.” (Psalm 25:19)

God’s people have a variety of enemies. Sometimes they are physical – the sort that David often faced. In such times, it is important to cry to God for deliverance from their craftiness. Other times, these enemies are more spiritual in nature.

While you may not have thought of it this way, every Christian is in a fight with the devil, a spiritual enemy who is violently angry with God and his people. As you read about the devil and his various temptations, it is important to recognize the serious nature of the spiritual struggle. The devil (and every other force aiming for your spiritual destruction) is violent, vicious, and lion-like. You are not sufficient to meet this enemy: you need God’s deliverance.

Pray for Guidance in Life

“Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.” (Psalm 25:4)

We often pray for God’s wisdom in our life choices, and this is a good prayer – but it’s important to have the right emphasis. David’s primary emphasis is about gaining knowledge of God’s ways and paths. He wants to know what it pleasing to God, and how to apply that knowledge to life decisions.

Guidance is more than just the right decision in life – it is also the right mindset and thinking. “Lead me in your truth and teach me,” David prays in Psalm 25:5, recognizing that it is not just the decision, but the truth, that is important.

For those who are seeking God, there is good news: “You make known to me the path of life” (Psalm 19:11). This is more than a vague possibility in the distant future – it is a certainty. We should pray for God’s guidance in life, and at the same time, trust that he will give it, even when we can’t see the path ahead.

Conclusion

David is a powerful example of a man who knew how to pray. As we learn from him, I am reminded of the words of Charles Spurgeon: “The power of prayer can never be overrated…If a man can but pray he can do anything. He who knows how to overcome with God in prayer has Heaven and earth at his disposal.”