Praying to Our Gracious God, part 1 (Psalm 86:1-7)

David’s prayer in Psalm 86, like the prayers throughout the Psalter, is highly instructive and illuminating for our times of communion with God. He makes a total of fifteen requests, yet he is essentially he is calling upon the name of the Lord his God for one thing: grace. In the first seven verses, David focuses upon his helpless condition yet grounds his prayers in the relationship he has to his covenant God. Ultimately, he prays with confidence knowing that the Lord is “good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you” (Ps. 86:5). In this sermon, Pastor Matt explains that true prayer is an expression of total dependence on our gracious God, calling the church to be committed not just to the Word but also to prayer.