Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud:
and he shall hear my voice. Psa 55:17
+++++++
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God:
for unto thee will I pray.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning
will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psa 5:2-3
FRIENDS MAY FORSAKE, BUT GOD ABIDETH
and he shall hear my voice. Psa 55:17
+++++++
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God:
for unto thee will I pray.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning
will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psa 5:2-3
FRIENDS MAY FORSAKE, BUT GOD ABIDETH
The streets and open spaces of the city were filled with conspirators. Violence, strife, deceit, and oppression trampled the virtuous and helpless under foot. The treachery of Ahithophel was worse than all. How different the hot anger of David from our Lord’s treatment of Judas, when He washed Judas’ feet, expostulated with him in the garden, and bade him pause to think to what he had come! Blessed is the soul that retires from the hubbub of the street-as David, Daniel, and all devout Israelites were wont to do-three times a day. Compare Psa_55:17 with Dan_6:10 and Act_10:9. He will cover our heads in the day of battle and redeem our souls in peace, if only we will trust Him.
As the R.V. marginal rendering of Psa_55:22 suggests, thy burden is that which God has given thee to carry. It did not come by chance nor from the evil intent of men. He cast it on thee; cast it back on Him. We cannot do our work so long as we stoop beneath the exhausting waste of anxiety and care. Hand all over to thy Father’s care. Let no burdens break the Sabbath-keeping of thy heart! Neh_13:19. (F.B. Meyer)
As the R.V. marginal rendering of Psa_55:22 suggests, thy burden is that which God has given thee to carry. It did not come by chance nor from the evil intent of men. He cast it on thee; cast it back on Him. We cannot do our work so long as we stoop beneath the exhausting waste of anxiety and care. Hand all over to thy Father’s care. Let no burdens break the Sabbath-keeping of thy heart! Neh_13:19. (F.B. Meyer)
Charles Spurgeon-Treasury of David
Psa 55:17
“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray.” Often, but none too often. Seasons of great need call for frequent seasons of devotion. The three periods chosen are most fitting; to begin, continue, and end the day with God is supreme wisdom. Where time has naturally set up a boundary, there let us set up an altar-stone. The Psalmist means that he will always pray; he will run a line of prayer right along the day and track the sun with his petitions. Day and night he saw his enemies busy (Psa_55:10), and therefore he would meet their activity by continuous prayer. “And cry aloud.” He would give a tongue to his complaint; he would be very earnest in his pleas with heaven. Some cry aloud who never say a word. It is the bell of the heart that rings loudest in heaven. Some read it, “I will muse and murmur;” deep heart-thoughts should be attended with inarticulate but vehement utterances of grief. Blessed be God, moaning is translatable in heaven. A father's heart reads a child's heart. “And he shall hear my voice.” He is confident that he will prevail; he makes no question that he would be heard, he speaks as if already he were answered. When our window is opened towards heaven, the windows of heaven are open to us. Have but a pleading heart and God will have a plenteous hand.
Psa 5:2
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
“The voice of my cry.” In another Psalm we find the expression, “The voice of my weeping.” Weeping has a voice - a melting, plaintive tone, an ear-piercing shrillness, which reaches the very heart of God: and crying hath a voice - a soul-moving eloquence; coming from our heart it reaches God's heart, Ah! my brothers and sisters, sometimes we cannot put our prayers into words: they are nothing but a cry: but the Lord can comprehend the meaning, for he hears a voice in our cry. To a loving father his children's cries are music, and they have a magic influence which his heart cannot resist. “My King and my God.” Observe carefully these little pronouns, “my King, and my God.” They are the pith and marrow of the plea. Here is a grand argument why God should answer prayer - because he is our King and our God. We are not aliens to him: he is the King of our country. Kings are expected to hear the appeals of their own people. We are not strangers to him; we are his worshippers, and he is our God: ours by covenant, by promise, by oath, by blood.
“For unto thee will I pray.” Here David expresses his declaration that he will seek to God, and to God alone. God is to be the only object of worship: the only resource of our soul in times of need. Leave broken cisterns to the godless, and let the godly drink from the Divine fountain alone.
“Unto thee will I pray.” He makes a resolution, that as long as he lived he would pray. He would never cease to supplicate, even though the answer should not come.
“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray.” Often, but none too often. Seasons of great need call for frequent seasons of devotion. The three periods chosen are most fitting; to begin, continue, and end the day with God is supreme wisdom. Where time has naturally set up a boundary, there let us set up an altar-stone. The Psalmist means that he will always pray; he will run a line of prayer right along the day and track the sun with his petitions. Day and night he saw his enemies busy (Psa_55:10), and therefore he would meet their activity by continuous prayer. “And cry aloud.” He would give a tongue to his complaint; he would be very earnest in his pleas with heaven. Some cry aloud who never say a word. It is the bell of the heart that rings loudest in heaven. Some read it, “I will muse and murmur;” deep heart-thoughts should be attended with inarticulate but vehement utterances of grief. Blessed be God, moaning is translatable in heaven. A father's heart reads a child's heart. “And he shall hear my voice.” He is confident that he will prevail; he makes no question that he would be heard, he speaks as if already he were answered. When our window is opened towards heaven, the windows of heaven are open to us. Have but a pleading heart and God will have a plenteous hand.
Psa 5:2
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
“The voice of my cry.” In another Psalm we find the expression, “The voice of my weeping.” Weeping has a voice - a melting, plaintive tone, an ear-piercing shrillness, which reaches the very heart of God: and crying hath a voice - a soul-moving eloquence; coming from our heart it reaches God's heart, Ah! my brothers and sisters, sometimes we cannot put our prayers into words: they are nothing but a cry: but the Lord can comprehend the meaning, for he hears a voice in our cry. To a loving father his children's cries are music, and they have a magic influence which his heart cannot resist. “My King and my God.” Observe carefully these little pronouns, “my King, and my God.” They are the pith and marrow of the plea. Here is a grand argument why God should answer prayer - because he is our King and our God. We are not aliens to him: he is the King of our country. Kings are expected to hear the appeals of their own people. We are not strangers to him; we are his worshippers, and he is our God: ours by covenant, by promise, by oath, by blood.
“For unto thee will I pray.” Here David expresses his declaration that he will seek to God, and to God alone. God is to be the only object of worship: the only resource of our soul in times of need. Leave broken cisterns to the godless, and let the godly drink from the Divine fountain alone.
“Unto thee will I pray.” He makes a resolution, that as long as he lived he would pray. He would never cease to supplicate, even though the answer should not come.
Prayer-Let it be Real
Taking this Psalm as an example of personal waiting upon God, what may we learn of personal worship?
Mark:
(1) the directness, (2) the earnestness, (3) the intelligence, of the speech.
The Psalmist shows intelligence- by his conception of the character of God, and by his view of the character and deserts of the wicked.
If this is the kind of prayer which the Lord will hear, then let us gladly learn that one man will be heard; that every man will be heard in his own way; that no man who loves wickedness will be heard; that those who are heard and answered should be enthusiastic in their joy.
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psa 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Psa 66:20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Regarding this as an acceptable prayer, we may correct some modern notions of worship; for example:
(1) that we may not tell God what He already knows; (2) that we may not make a speech to God; (3) that in prayer we should be continually asking for something.
Our worship should distinctly express our personality of sin, trouble, and necessity; then it will be always new, vigorous, and profitable.
(Parker, The Ark of God, p. 130)
Mark:
(1) the directness, (2) the earnestness, (3) the intelligence, of the speech.
The Psalmist shows intelligence- by his conception of the character of God, and by his view of the character and deserts of the wicked.
If this is the kind of prayer which the Lord will hear, then let us gladly learn that one man will be heard; that every man will be heard in his own way; that no man who loves wickedness will be heard; that those who are heard and answered should be enthusiastic in their joy.
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psa 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Psa 66:20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Regarding this as an acceptable prayer, we may correct some modern notions of worship; for example:
(1) that we may not tell God what He already knows; (2) that we may not make a speech to God; (3) that in prayer we should be continually asking for something.
Our worship should distinctly express our personality of sin, trouble, and necessity; then it will be always new, vigorous, and profitable.
(Parker, The Ark of God, p. 130)
