I am poor and needy

 Psalm 86:1–17 (ESV):  

1  Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, 

for I am poor and needy. 

 2  Preserve my life, for I am godly; 

save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 

 3  Be gracious to me, O Lord, 

for to you do I cry all the day. 

 4  Gladden the soul of your servant, 

for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 

 5  For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, 

abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 

 6  Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; 

listen to my plea for grace. 

 7  In the day of my trouble I call upon you, 

for you answer me. 

 8  There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, 

nor are there any works like yours. 

 9  All the nations you have made shall come 

and worship before you, O Lord, 

and shall glorify your name. 

 10  For you are great and do wondrous things; 

you alone are God. 

 11  Teach me your way, O Lord, 

that I may walk in your truth; 

unite my heart to fear your name. 

 12  I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, 

and I will glorify your name forever. 

 13  For great is your steadfast love toward me; 

you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 

 14  O God, insolent men have risen up against me; 

a band of ruthless men seeks my life, 

and they do not set you before them. 

 15  But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, 

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 

 16  Turn to me and be gracious to me; 

give your strength to your servant, 

and save the son of your maidservant. 

 17  Show me a sign of your favour, 

that those who hate me may see and be put to shame 

because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. 

This psalm written by David shows his humility. Even though he is a strong, powerful, blessed king, he describes himself as, ‘poor and needy….your servant’. As a young man in his father’s house we can see how this would relate to David, but when he wrote this psalm as the anointed king of the nation of God, it can seem odd to try to comprehend. Yet, ‘poor and needy’ is how David describes himself in several of the psalms. As David considers and praises God, i think he recognises how poor and needy he is in comparison with Him. No matter the earthly riches, authority and reputation he has on Earth, what is it when you compare it to God? It is ‘poor’ and insignificant in comparison, and the level of capacity and capability is ‘needy’ indeed. David acknowledged this in a way many of us miss. 

It is not encouraged or desired by society to be known as ‘poor and needy’. In fact, those who are can be looked down upon and pitied so David does not go to people in his poverty or neediness. The only one David wishes to show his lack to is God, for what could man do? God can get to the heart of the deprivation that David feels. It must have been hard for him to relate to being king. From the lowly, overlooked position of a shepherd to a throne, it is not surprising that David felt like he didn't belong, that he wasn't prepared and that he didn't have enough within himself to perform his duties. Yet he was king because he went to the place we all need to when we feel insufficient for the task ahead of us - he went to God. The only one who can give life, salvation, grace, forgiveness, love, courage, hope and joy. These are the things you really need when you feel ‘poor and needy'.

As well as acknowledging the poverty and need in his own life, this psalm also glorifies God. In fact, most of it is a psalm of recognition of how wonderful God is. David recalls how God is good and forgiving, and always loves him - you can see the genuine relationship and delight David has with God. Yet he does not, even as king, consider himself at all powerful or in control in comparison to God, when he thinks about God, he realises how poor and needy he is! As much authority as David has, or as much influence, as many people or wealth he has at his fingers, when you match it up to the wealth, authority, power and capacity God has it truly is ‘poor and needy'. David honours God as the Almighty King. The One who can change any circumstance, the only truly God because no-one and nothing else can compare with what God can do (v8-10). 

In his humility, David asks God to show him what His ‘way’ is. Sometimes we can be so confused and distressed that we do not know what way to go, or what God wants from us in a particular situation. So even in this time where David is in need, he seeks God to show him how to live right to, ‘unite my heart to fear your name’. David knew that his emotions were all over the place, but even so he wanted to honour and serve God well in this season. So he asked God to help unite his heart with obedience to God. What is your response when you are in distress? To you accept your feelings and allow yourself to be mastered by them or do you, even then, in the midst of overwhelming disappointment and sadness decide to subject your emotions to God? This is what David did, and this is powerful. In an age when people do what they feel and follow their emotions, the people of God are not to do that but instead to seek God first. Above thoughts, desires and feelings, they are to invite God to restructure their hearts so that they can live their lives in truth. Is your heart's cry to God in times of difficulty;  'Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name'?

You are poor and needy. You will encounter disappointment and heartache, but you are not to be led by those experiences or emotions. For in your need you have an Almighty God, and Everlasting Father and a Faithful Friend you can call upon to uphold, strengthen, love and guide you. Will you call upon God in your times of need? At the end of this outpouring of love, praise and recognition of the greatness of God David declares, 'Lord, have helped me and comforted me'. Just through spending quality time with God, David has felt comforted, listened to and helped. The situation has not radically changed in the moments of this prayer, but offloading to God and showing that you are willing to do things God's way, not your own, allows God to minister to you. Relying on God gives strength, purpose and unites your heart. I wonder what His way is for you. Are you prepared to ask God to show you, and trust God to unite your heart?

Who are you friends with?

Did you know that there is a wrong way to pray? 

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 

James 4:3–4 (ESV)

To maintain any relationship, communication is important. Talking to God (prayer) is important to grow, deepen, and solidify your relationship with God, but did you know there’s a wrong way to do it? The Bible is full of what you may consider outrageous ways to pray - people plead with God, try to change His mind, rant at Him, shout at Him, question Him. Yet this God considers ok, and the people that talk to Him like that are the people God considers friends! These people are telling God how they are really doing, what they are thinking and hoping. You can do the same - this is an acceptable way to talk to God. However if all you are speaking to God about is asking Him for things that you want just for your own self-satisfaction then that is not the right way to pray. James lets us know that asking for your passions and desires to be granted is not ok. It shows that you’ve put yourself and your wants first, not God. If you approach God as just an entity that can solve your problems and provide your desires, where’s the relationship? It is like approaching God as you would an online supermarket - preparing your shopping list beforehand, putting it all in the basket and then checking out - transaction complete. Is that how you pray? If so, know that God wants more for you. He wants to be your friend. 

How you pray shows what you think of your relationship with God and the world. In your prayer life are you asking God to make your life better and easier on Earth, or are you asking God to help you make known His kingdom here on Earth? Are you praying for worldly satisfaction or help to see things God’s way? This shows who you are choosing to be friends with - God or the world. If you’re a friend of God, you must be an enemy of the world and all it represents, so be mindful of that as you pray. 

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Consider now, what do you want your life to be about? Are you choosing to follow the worlds way or God’s? How you pray demonstrates what you’re about. These verses accept and acknowledge that temptation and sin exist - do you allow these things to dominate you and your prayer life? For example, do you ask God for money just because you want to spend it on things you know you shouldn’t? That’s just one example of what these verses are talking about. 

So then, how should you pray? Are you not allowed to ask God for things? Of course you are! Just think about what you’re asking for and why - in all honesty, are the things you are asking for in line with God’s best for your life? Are you asking for things you know that God wouldn’t want for you? If so, you are not being God’s friend. Imagine keep asking a friend to do something that they feel really uncomfortable with or that they know is wrong, at some point you’re likely to lose that friend and cause serious damage to that relationship. You yourself will become frustrated, angry and disappointed. We know that God is not like any human friend, He does have infinite patience and grace to forgive you and keep listening to you, but if you continue to pray for the things of the world, for passions and desires that are loved by the world but not by God, how is that going to effect you and how you see the relationship you have with God? 

whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 

You cannot be friends of God and the world. The world will lead you to sin and spiritual death, God will lead you out of it and into life. Which are you friends with? You cannot be friends with both. You cannot entertain and enjoy sin whilst saying you are a friend of God, it is not possible. Whoever you’re a friend with, whether God or the world, you’re automatically an enemy of the other. Jesus clearly tells us that you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), so you cannot serve the temptations and passions of the world and serve God, so what is your choice? 

Where do you meet with God?

We are so privileged to be able to talk to God wherever we are, whenever we want. It wasn’t always this way. 

Here is an extract from the book of Exodus:

*7*Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. *8*Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. *9*When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. *10*And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. *11*Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.  

Exodus 33:7-11

These verses clearly show that anyone could go and seek God, everyone had access, but they had to go out of their way to a specific place to meet with Him. There is also a clear difference to anyone going to the tent of meeting and Moses. Everyone had access to the meeting place, but something special happened when it was Moses. Moses had a unique relationship with God and experienced God speaking to him as to a friend.

When we speak to our friends, we involve them in the details of our lives, we have fun together, share thoughts and dreams. Do you do that with God? Or is it more of a one-way communication?  

Do you treat God as a friend when you speak to Him? Are you good at waiting to hear what God has to say?

When Moses met with God, they spoke as friends. What an intimate, special connection! You have the capability to have the same, because of Jesus. When you give your life to God through Jesus, you have special access to meet with God wherever you are. 

Moses had to go to the tent or up a mountain to meet with God, but you can meet God right here and now, so really, you have it better! 

You can enter into God’s presence and speak to God as a friend, do you?