Read: Psalm 5 and Proverbs 8:17; SOAP: Psalm 5:3
Lord, in the morning you will hear me;
Psalm 5:3
in the morning I will present my case to you and then wait expectantly for an answer.
What a beautiful example of prayer David presents here. I can hear his desperation in the preceding verses as he calls on God to – listen, consider, and pay attention all before he is praying. He is specific with God as to when he will be praying and he is boldly expectant of an answer, declaring his commitment to wait. The rest of the prayer (4-12) bears witness that he prays in accordance with God’s will, as he expresses knowledge of what God doesn’t accept and what he rewards. These are all very important parts of prayer …
- the desperation showing he understands his need for God …
- calling on God to listen reveals David isn’t just interested in praying but in talking to God (it’s about the relationship not the religious act) …
- the specific time indicates his seriousness …
- and the term, “I will wait expectantly”, indicates commitment and trust, which is our focus today …
The first part, “I will“, is a commitment, the evidence of our trust. The second part, “wait expectantly“, indicates how he will wait. While there is something to be said about leaving our requests at Jesus’ feet, trusting Him to answer, it’s the expectation that keeps our eyes on God. It doesn’t mean we stop and wring our hands or pace the floor while we wait, but simply that we are aware that we have asked something of God and are anticipating its arrival. This combination of commitment and expectation is also what keeps us coming back – asking, seeking, knocking – and what moves our heart to rejoice when we receive the answer.
I like how you pointed out it is what moves our hearts to rejoice when we receive the answer.