Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16
There is no question that prayer is powerful. It is one of the weapons of our warfare, divine in power to the pulling down of strongholds. Yet somehow we can overlook the importance of prayer. We can seek the answers of this world or of our own wisdom before bringing our situations to God Himself. David understood the importance of prayer in our key verses from Psalm 55.
First David understands the fundamental relationship he has with God through prayer. If we call on God, the Lord will rescue us:
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. 1John 5: 14-15
Moving through the key verses, we see that David also understands the persistent nature prayer must possess. David says he cries out morning, noon, and night in his distress. Sometimes we can give up too easily in prayer. We operate in our temporal understanding and forget that God is above all time:
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. 2Peter 3: 8-9
The key in these verses is "as some understand slowness." To our finite minds, God may appear to be "slow" in answering but He does not view time the same way. He holds all time in His hands. He is never early and never late. We serve an on-time God. David understood this and cries out to God persistently. Note that he acknowledges that God hears his voice, yet still David prays. We need to emulate David. Our prayer life cannot be hit and run.
Continuing in the key verses we see that David understood that through prayer, God becomes bigger than his circumstances. David acknowledges that many still oppose him. Prayer may not remove all of the enemies or struggles we face but it assures us that He has ransomed us and will protect us. As Christians we have been purchased at a price. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins and because of it; we now are no longer slaves to this world. We are no longer slaves to the fear of our enemies or the struggles we face. God is bigger than them all. He hears our prayers, will sustain us, and will deliver us. This is the confidence in which David prays.
