How to Pray
Psalm 4
Emmanuel Christian Church 10.29.23
INTRODUCTION: Psalm 4 (like many of the Psalms) is a prayer. Prayer is a powerful thing. Prayer is a privilege. Unfortunately, most of us don’t know how to do it, and we don’t do it enough!
Jesus’ own disciples had that problem. As a matter of fact, they came to Him one day, asking for Him to tech them how to do it! That’s when Jesus gave them the simple outline to prayer we call, “The Lord’s Prayer”. But that’s NOT the only place we find lessons on prayer.
PROPOSITION: Psalm 4 is a prayer, but it’s also a collection of lessons on how to pray! As we walk through this Psalm together, we’re going to learn the importance of attitude, we’re going to be warned about two things that can kill prayer, and we’ll wrap up with three reasons to give God thanksgiving in prayer.
Psalms 4:1 Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. 2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah 3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. 4 In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah 5 Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. 6 Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. 7 You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
- “Hear me and answer me!”
- The beginning statement of this Psalm sounds a little too over-
confident, a little too cheeky!
- Jesus told a story about prayer and attitude:
Luke 11:5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of
The Prayer: vs. 1-3
bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
Luke 11:7 “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
In the book of Hebrews we find this statement about the kind of attitude we ought to bring to prayer:
Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. 16 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.
- The opening verse of Psalm 4 concludes with this cry: “Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.”
- Have you ever prayed like that? PROBABLY!
- Have you ever been so distressed in prayer that you just ran out of
words? PROBABLY! Well, listen to THIS:
Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
APPLICATION: What a comforting picture! The embrace of God’s Spirit when our hearts are broken beyond words! Not only comforting use, but taking our case right before our Father one heaven!
TRANSITION: Now, when approaching God in prayer, we DO need to be careful to avoid... The Pitfalls vs. 4-5
- How can anger lead us into sin? Paul quotes this Psalm to the Ephesian Christians:
Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
- Unrighteous anger gives the enemy a “foothold” in our heart and mind- moving our emotions to hate and focusing our thoughts on revenge!
APPLICATION: If we are supposed to love the LORD with all of our heart and mind (and we are), then giving the devil a foothold in those two areas of our life is nothing more than a sinful act of treason against God!
- Unrighteous anger short circuits your brain. It makes you stupid! - Be honest with yourself: most of your anger is selfish and sinful.
James 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
“Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.”
- Aren’t ALL sacrifices “right” sacrifices? Hmm, what did Jesus say?
Matthew 5:23 “... if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
“In your anger do not sin”
- Doing the right thing for the wrong reason, makes the right thing the wrong thing!
- So, what was Jesus saying here? Simply this- if you offer God a sacrifice without any concern for your relationship with your brother, then you are doing the right thing in the wrong way!
- “Right” sacrifices are about two things: attitude and relationships. - The right attitude is this:
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (Gr. hilaros: hil-ar-os)
- The right relationships are these:
Luke 10:27 Jesus said: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
The Three Things For Which To Give God PRAISE: vs. 6-8 - “God is good”
Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
- “Who can show us any good?” GOD CAN!
- However, YOU NEED TO BE LOOKING IN HIS DIRECTION!
- The Book of God’s Works. - The Book of God’s Words.
APPLICATION: If you can’t see “any good” chances are- you’re looking down at your feet! STOP trudging through life like Eeyore the Donkey!
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- “Rejoice always”
“You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.”
- Is it even realistic to say that you can go through this sin broken world with a heart filled with joy?
- I’ve been saving this New Testament Scripture just for this point in the sermon!
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
APPLICATION: Psalm 4 and Philippians 4 go hand in hand! Like most things in life, REJOICE is a CHOICE!
- “Rest in Peace”
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
- When do you get a chance to “rest in peace”? Most people think it only happens when you die!
- What if I told you you could “rest in peace” TONIGHT, and still live to see another day?
- It is absolutely possible, BUT you have to come to one simple conclusion- PEACE does NOT depend on your CIRCUMSTANCES! Peace DOES depend on your RELATIONSHIPS- specifically your relationship with God.
APPLICATION: Peace only comes when you get right with God. And when you get right with God, peace never leaves!
Getting right with God is only possible through Jesus Christ. BELIEVE what He’s said, SUBMIT to His will. WALK in His path.
