Ask God for Mercy

“Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.” (Psalm 143:1-2)

If you want God to hear you, to answer you, you must “come correct”. What that means is, be prepared to act appropriately. How this translates for David is that he knows that he is a sinful man approaching a holy God. It is the holiness of God that compels him to seek God in prayer, to ask God to be attentive to him. It is the cry of someone who understands the privilege of sinful flesh going before a holy God to get the deliverance and the answers he desires.  

It is in the Lord’s prayer we hear echoes of David’s prayer from psalm 143. When we pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” we are asking for God’s mercy. We are sinful flesh approaching a holy God and if we want God to answer us, we need and must depend on His mercy. When we do wrong, if the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you recognize you don’t deserve the privilege of calling out to Him. It is the Holy Spirit that will convict you bringing extreme sadness and grief, but God is faithful and when we ask for forgiveness, we too are seeking God’s mercy. Mercy matters because mercy brings peace, love, and joy despite any differences you may have with another.  

When someone hurts you, the natural inclination is to get even but that is not what God wants from His followers. He says, pardon them, excuse then, acquit them, let it go. Who after all has no sin, has lived a life of perfection without rendering offense to others? Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the will of God. Therefore, when you stop holding onto past hurts you are essentially allowing God to mend the hurt so that you are able to move forward to the future, the One He has ordained for you.

“God, grant us mercy as we seek You in prayer.”