In Psalm 25 David is in distress. He doesn’t get into the specifics, but he’s very aware of his own sin (verses 7, 11, 18), experiences guilt (verse 11), and is under the threat of enemies (verse 2). 

In the midst of this prayer he says: “Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old” (verse 6).

He’s telling God to remember what he himself as Lord and Saviour is like. ‘Hey God, don’t you remember who you are and the kinds of things you do? Don’t you remember that you are merciful and loving to your people, including me?’

David is under attack. He needs God’s mercy and love. So he cries out to the Lord reminding him about his own promises!

In Following God Fully, Joel Beeke and Michael Reeves write: “If Christians would be effective, they must show God His own handwriting in prayer.”*

Of course, God knows what he is like. He is omniscient, which literally means “all knowing.” But when we call out to him in honest desperation, and when we describe what he is like, we are telling him (and ourselves) that we trust his character, that without him we are lost, and that we seek to glorify him in, through and out the other side of our predicaments.

When you pray to God in the midst of your own desperation, or whenever you are seeking his will, remember that he is always sovereign, holy, wise, loving and good. He is never not those things. Like David, feel free to remind him who he is and what he is like. At the same time, remind yourself that you trust his character, that without him you are lost, and that you seek his glory in all things. 

The psalms have often been called the prayer book of God’s people. When we’re not sure what to say, they teach us by giving us the very words to use. 

Be honest, be yourself, be persistent, and remind God that he can do anything. In so doing, remind yourself to trust his love, wisdom and timing.

“Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.”

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Notes:

–This Sunday at Westminster, I start some messages on Solved Mysteries—understanding head-scratching stories to strengthen your discipleship.

–*Joel R. Beeke and Michael Reeves, Following God Fully: An Introduction to the Puritans (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2022), 123.

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on July 15, 2024.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.