Preach to Yourself
Scripture Reading: Exodus 18-20; Psalm 27
Psalm 27 offers us profound wisdom through the pattern of prayer it presents. Though David’s troubles are evident from the beginning, the psalm unfolds in two distinct movements. The first half radiates with declarations of faith in God’s promises. The second half shifts into heartfelt pleas for God’s help.
In the first half, we hear David’s confident proclamations:
The LORD is my light and my salvation…
The LORD is the stronghold of my life…
He will hide me in His shelter…
He will lift me high upon a rock…
David speaks with bold assurance:
Of whom shall I be afraid?
It is they who stumble and fall…
Yet in the second half of the psalm, David’s tone changes. He moves from declaring truths about God to pleading directly with Him:
Be gracious to me and answer me…
Hide not Your face from me…
Turn not Your servant away in anger…
Cast me not off; forsake me not…
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries…
At first glance, the psalm might seem to unfold in reverse. Shouldn’t David’s pleadings come first, as he wrestles with God in prayer, and his declarations of faith come afterward, as he finds assurance? Shouldn’t the confident statement, “He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble,” follow his plea, “Give me not up to the will of my adversaries”?
But this psalm is no mistake. Its order teaches us something vital: in moments of crisis, it’s often better to first preach to ourselves the promises of God before we bring our fears and needs to Him.
Why? Because by grounding ourselves in God’s truth first, we approach Him with faith and confidence, rather than panic and fear. When we remind ourselves of Christ—of all that His death and resurrection have accomplished on our behalf—and remember that “all the promises of God are ‘yes’ in Him” (2 Corinthians 1:20), our prayers take on a whole new tone. Instead of desperate cries from a place of doubt, they become the pleas of children who trust their Father’s goodness.
Notice where David concludes:
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!”
This is not a cry of uncertainty but a statement of unshakable confidence. And his final exhortation is the perfect reminder for us today:
“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”
When trouble comes, preach to yourself first. Declare God’s promises, root yourself in His faithfulness, and let your pleadings rise from a heart anchored in His steadfast love.
Amen, help me Lord, to remember