Bold Praying
Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 7:18-29
All Scripture is equally inspired. It is all God’s word, and therefore important. But certain texts are momentous and monumental. They stand out as critical signposts on our journey from Creation to Final Redemption. 2 Samuel chapter 7 is one of those passages. It has massive Messianic implications and points us toward the Ultimate Son of David who will reign as King forever.
I don’t know how much of what was promised David did or could have understood. What we do know is he realized God was promising him something extraordinary, something that could only come to pass through the power and grace of the One who was making these promises.
Our text is David’s prayer in response to God’s promise. It is the only place in the Bible where I find it recorded that someone prays while sitting. Most praying we read about in the Bible is done while prostrate, kneeling, or standing. But here David is said to have gone in and “sat before the LORD.” I think this is emphasized, not because David is being disrespectful or lazy, but because he is overcome. His strength has gone out from him, not in the sense that he is defeated, but in the sense that he is overwhelmed at the enormity of what he has just heard.
David’s prayer is mostly just repeating back to God what God had spoken to David. David is praying God’s promises back to the Lord and asking God to do what he has promised to do. And, because God’s promises here are so big, David’s ask is enormous as well.
In this prayer, David explains his rationale for praying so boldly. “Therefore, your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to you.” He prays boldly because he is praying back to God what God has promised him.
This is wonderfully helpful to us if we will take it to heart. We can pray boldly for what God has promised to us. Learn the promises of God and make them your prayers to God. Make what God has said to you, what you say back to Him. Make God’s beautiful promises your bold prayers.
Amen