Finding Yourself in the Psalms

Psalm 86

A Prayer Guide for the Needy

HAILING the CHIEF

• 1st person. Businessman. Got to go

• 2nd person.	Flighty career woman
• 3rd person.	Religious pharisee
• 4th person.	Cowering woman
• 5th person.	Inconsiderate teen
• 6th person.	Little child. WOW. What do you want??	“Nothing. I just

wondered if I could spend some time with you.”

What do we do when we have requests?

Psalm 86. Only Psalm of David in Book 3

FIRST PERSON PRONOUNS (I, my, myself) 35X

BALANCE of PRAISE, PRAYER and PROMISE

15x David speaks of God’s attributes

ELOHIM 5x YHWH 4x ADONAI 7x

15x David asks God for help

9x David makes a commitment to God to honor him for his promise

86:11 “Teach me your way, I Lord, and I will walk in your truth. Give me an

undivided heart that I may fear your name.”

There are times we need to ASK GOD.

HOW we ask, and WHAT we ask for is important. Psalm 86 can help guide us.

I. Come to God with PRAISE.

Psalm 100:4 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving. . .”

A. 15 x David speaks of the attributes of God
1. V. 2 “You are my God.” Elohim used 5x in Psalm 86
2. V. 5 “Forgiving and good”
3. V. 5 abounding in love
4. V. 7 “you will answer”
5. V. 8 INCOMPARABLE. “There is none like you . . .”
6. V. 10 “you are great and do marvelous deeds
7. V. 10 UNIQUE “you alone are God”
8. V. 13 great love “you have delivered me. . .”
9. V. 15 compassionate and gracious. . .
a. (Exodus 34:6) "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,"
b. Repeated Num 14:18; Neh 9 17; Psalm 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; James 4:2)
10. V. 17 “you have helped me”
II. Come to God with PRAYER (15 requests)

Prayer is not just asking. It is listening for God’s orders.

Life Wisdom from Billy Graham Page 124

A. V1 Hear my prayer, answer me
B. v2 guard my life, save your servant
C. v3 have mercy
D. v4 bring joy
E. v6 hear my prayer, listen to my cry
F. v11 teach me your way, give me an undivided heart
1. Hebrew yahad a “whole heart, united”
G. V. 16 “Turn to me, have mercy, grant strength, save me
H. V. 17 “give me a sign”
III. Come to God with PROMISES. (9 promises)
A. V, 2 I am devoted to you, I trust in you
B. V. 3 “I call to you all day
C. V. 4 “I lift up my soul”
D. V. 7 “I will call
E. V. 11 “I will walk in the truth, I will fear your name”
F. V. 12 “I will praise you, I will glorify”
How do you come to God? PRAISE
PRAYER PROMISES