The Essence of Prayer XXX – Psalm 70 Urgent Prayer

In general, the Psalms lend themselves to thorough study.  There is a real structure that can be discovered and there is profit in searching them out.  Most Psalms have a definite theme that is repeated throughout.

Psalm 70:

Verse 1:  “Make haste”, David is feeling vulnerable and this pushes him to urgent prayer.  This is a valuable place to be.  We have an urgent need for urgent prayer and this Psalm helps us to see that.  This is not uncommon in the Psalms.

 

David wrote many of this sort because he had enemies seeking his life, verse 2.  The believer also has enemies which are not as clearly visible as David’s but are the source of our urgent need for urgent prayer.  Satan is absolutely seeking to destroy the believer’s Christian profession.  He seeks by subtle ways and large ways to undermine the believer’s spiritual life.  Sometimes God allows the believer to see the mortal combat of this life.  This can lead to a kind of despair.

 

The believer’s circumstances as well as Satan’s direct attacks can also drag him into despair, away from the Lord.  A kind of spiritual pride can also set in, an “I can face this” attitude.  Yet the believer often doesn’t see where he is headed until the Lord shows the danger.  It is a blessing when the believer sees his urgent need and that he has no ability in himself to stand against his enemies, verse 5.  David may have been the king with riches and faithful followers but he saw how poor he was against the enemies of his soul.  He cried out to God with urgency for His help and instruction.  This is the same place that the unbeliever comes to before God saves him.  This is the place where the believer is most blessed – when he knows he has nothing but the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The blessing of this kind of prayer is the recognition that this is the place to be – utterly helpless before an almighty God.  This kind of urgent prayer finds God, Psalm 73:25  “Whom have I heaven but You?  And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.”  From this place it is very clear that God is ultimate help for the believer and God’s sovereignty becomes very apparent.  God uses urgent prayer in urgent need to show Himself to the believer.