Pray - No Matter What! - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- Jan 28
- 4 min read
Pray – No Matter What!
Psalm 55
Intro: David refers to prayer multiple times in this chapter.
He shows us…
The Recipient of his Prayer - vs. 1 “...O God…” See 54:1
The Request of his Prayer - vs. 1, 2 “Give ear…hide not…attend unto me and hear me…” See 54:2
The Roaring of his Prayer - vs. 2 “...I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise…”
MOURN: to wander restlessly, roam
NOISE: to distract, ring again, make a (great) noise, murmur, roar, discomfit, be moved; to be in a stir
The Resolve of his Prayer - vs. 16 “...as for me, I WILL call upon God…”
The Repetition of his Prayer - vs. 17 “Evening, morning and at noon will I pray…”
The Reassurance of his Prayer - vs. 17b “...and he shall hear my voice.” SEE vs. 1, 2
What stands out in this chapter is the chaos in David’s life that didn’t interfere with his praying.
Many people fail to pray when they need it the most.
David was not a super-hero.
He struggled with the same things we do - but he never stopped praying.
We can be encouraged by David’s example in this chapter.
David had an amazing consistent, insistent, persistent prayer life - in spite of…
I. The Foes that Hated Him - vs. 3
· 3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
II. The Fears that Horrified Him - vs. 4, 5
· 4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
· 5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
III. The Fantasies that Haunted Him - vs. 6-11
A. Fantasies about Disappearing from his Environment
· 6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
· 7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
· 8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
B. Fantasies about the Destruction of his Enemies
· 9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
· 10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
· 11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
IV. The Friends that Hurt Him - vs. 12-14
· 12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
· 13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
· 14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
In verse 15, he’s still fantasizing about the destruction of those that had hurt him!
· 15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
NOTE: This is contrary to the teaching of Christ.
· 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
· 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
· 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
· 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
· 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
· 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Conclusion: In spite of all of David’s pain and problems, he never stopped praying.
His confidence in God’s ability to help him never diminished.
He was confident of God’s power…
A. To Save him - vs. 16-18
· 16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
· 17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
· 18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
B. To Sustain him
· 22 “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee…”
C. To Stabilize him
· 22 “...he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
