David’s Prayer

“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ‘Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, know Your servant. For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name–and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land–before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God. Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You…” (2 Samuel 7:18-26 NKJV)

“Do as You have said” (2 Samuel 7: 25)

This is the voice of a childlike faith.

Note what led to these words. ‑‑ Nathan had just unfolded to the king all the purposes of God’s heart towards him. That He would establish his throne, deliver him from his enemies, and set up his dynasty to succeed him ‑‑ this and much else. David’s heart was full of joy and gladness ‑‑ he knew that God would not run back from his word; but he felt none the less the duty of claiming the fulfilments of these guarantees. So it is with all the promises of God; though they are Yea and Amen in Christ, it is requisite for us to put our hand on them; plead them before God; and claim their fulfilment with appropriating faith. [“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” 2 Cor. 1:20.]

Notice the attitude in which David uttered these words. ‑‑ “He sat before the Lord.” Was not this the position of rest and trust? On another occasion, he lay all night upon the earth (2 Sam. 12:16), in an agony of prayer, because not sure of God’s purpose, and hoping to turn God by the extremity of his anguish. But there is a marvellous alteration in the tone of our prayer, so soon as we can base it on the declared purposes of God. We enter into his rest; we put ourselves in the current of his purposes; we sit before the Lord.

Mark the blessedness of communion with God. ‑‑ It is as a man talks with his friend. We are not retired always to kneel when we pray, or to con over a certain form of words; we can sit and talk with God, catching up his words as they fall on our hearts, and reflecting them back on Him in praise, and prayer, and happy converse. All true prayer originates in the declarations of God’s love, to each of which we answer, Do as You have said.

[“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature… 2 Pet. 1:3,4.]

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F.B. Meyer, Our Daily Homily (1847-1929) MARSHALL, MORGAN & SCOTT, LTD., LONDON & EDINBURGH.

Bracketed biblical quotations added. Original title and concluding phrase was: “Do as Thou hast said.”