A Plea for Upright Prayer

King David, more than most, had a handle on what it meant for circumstances to sideways. Initially, he set about his duties without fanfare—protecting the flock, facing down Goliath, direct service to King Saul—yet was notable in carrying them out because he sought the Lord’s recognition rather than his own and was rewarded with skepticism, jealousy, and false accusation; later, he would sin greatly reaping long-term consequences that fractured both his family and nation. Whether the adverse circumstances were unwarranted or self-inflicted, David refused to seek retribution on his oppressors (1 Sam 24:1–7; 1 Sam 26:7–12; 2 Sam 16:5–11). In all that occurred, David’s overwhelming concern was to stand before God in prayer and worship with clean hands and heart.

O Lord, I have cried to You; hear me;
Give heed to the voice of my supplication when I cry to You.
Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Ps 141:1–2)

The priestly presentation of incense and sacrifice was no casual matter. Both items were prepared according to strict guidelines and offered in a specific manner within the framework of a divinely prescribed liturgy.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth,
A door of enclosure about my lips.
Incline not my heart to evil words,
To make excuses in sins
With men who work lawlessness;
And I will not join with their choice ones. (Ps 141:3–4)

David wished to give the same care to his simplest of worshipful actions as he calls on the Lord to maintain his integrity, opening himself for scrutiny.

The righteous man shall correct me
With mercy, and he shall reprove me;
But let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head,
For my prayer shall be intense in the presence of their pleasures.(Ps 141:5)

God-fearing people do not disdain correction but accept it with humility: they recognize their personal failings and welcome correction from like-minded individuals. This same righteous one conversely eschews any honor or affirmation from miscreants because the prayers will run counter, even condemnatory, to those who relish their sinful desires.

Their judges are swallowed up by the rock;
They shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
As a clod of ground is dashed to pieces on the earth,
So our bones were scattered beside the grave.
For my eyes, O Lord, O Lord, are toward You;
In You I hope; take not my soul away.
Keep me from the snares they set for me,
And from the stumbling blocks of those who work lawlessness.
Sinners shall fall into their own net;
I am alone, until I escape. (Ps 141:6–10)

David ends by demonstrating the difference between the lawless and righteous, calling on the Lord to keep him true and steadfast in the way of escape.

I can be brutal when pent-up frustrations finally overflow. More than once, I have spewed forth richly deserved speech or print to address someone’s thinking. (There are a great many foolish, ignorant, or evil people out there.) This is certainly true during our election cycle with its rollercoaster of emotions as political viewpoints are voiced or squelched, especially if said election has serious allegations of widespread fraud—and all this after enduring months of tension from viral and natural disasters. When circumstances come at us like this, we need something to stop and remember. There is a God who knows and understands our adversity because He endured it; but at the same time, He is still holy and expects us to be the same and come before Him in holiness.

Ask yourself: Do I have the same attitude as David when coming before the Lord?