Prayer of the Righteous

Prayer is the greatest privilege that we have.

And did you hear Dr.

Ravenhill say desperate prayer?

Desperate prayer.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 17.

Today we're going to be finishing our prayer series.

It's been a great five weeks studying prayer.

Leading up to Friend Day.

Closing with the key ending message.

The prayer of the righteous.

And I'm telling you folks, listen to me.

You and I can make a difference through prayer.

Through desperate prayer.

And I don't need to tell you, but we all need right now desperate praying.

We've got an election Tuesday.

And we need desperate praying.

Election.

And I've been saying all along, it's not about Democrats and Republicans.

It's about right and wrong.

And I believe that with all my heart.

Somebody asked me the other day, how are you going to vote?

I said, I tell you what how I'm voting.

I'm voting for biblical morality.

And all you got to do is look at all the candidates running and see how they voted.

How did they vote on abortion?

How did they vote on what the Bible says is righteousness?

And that's how you vote.

I really believe that.

I've done that all my life.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.

But when the wicked bear through, the people mourn.

And we've seen the difference in the streets the last six months.

Righteousness exalts a nation to greatness.

Proverbs 29, 2.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

Psalms 33, 12.

So vote.

Everyone vote.

I can't stand to talk to people after election and they start complaining or griping about the outcome.

You know what my first question is?

Did you vote?

Because if they didn't vote, I don't want to hear it.

Go do your God given right and vote.

Amen.

Psalm 17, the prayer of the righteous.

Now David knew that worry never solved his problems.

Can I say something?

Worry and anxiety will not solve your problems.

Amen.

By the way, does everybody have an outline?

Make sure everybody's got an outline.

Because you want to keep this one.

We need one right up here.

We need several right up here.

And I don't even.

What did I do in mine?

I'll let you.

I know.

Here we go, Bob.

Thank you.

Right up here on front, second row.

Here we go.

There it is.

In fact, David was in trouble.

I meant David was in big trouble.

David was in a mountain, up on a mountain, and he was surrounded by Saul and his army.

In fact, there's five psalms that I call it the prayer delivering psalms that David wrote during his time, running from Saul and Absalom, his son, when his son overthrew his kingdom.

So we see that during these five Psalms, David understood what desperate praying was.

Because he was in the position right here, if God didn't come through, he was through.

And I constantly, I constantly say that true biblical faith, let me tell you what faith is.

You say, well, I know what faith is.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11, 1.

Faith is, you know, as one of my great mentors used to tell me, faith is believing something is so when it's not so, so that it becomes so, because God said so.

That's what true biblical faith is.

But let me tell you what it really is.

True living faith is walking by faith.

Without faith, it is what?

Impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11, 6, 2 Corinthians 5, 7.

We walk by faith, not by sight.

But what is that really walking by faith, real faith?

When you know you're really walking in, and we're the life students, listen carefully.

When you know you're really walking by faith, it's when you get in a desperate situation, just as David did and was, knowing that if God doesn't come through, you're through.

Now that's faith.

That's real faith.

You know you're walking by faith when you're in that line's den.

You know you're walking by faith when you're in the fiery furnace.

And God comes through.

You know you're walking by faith when Goliath, ten feet tall, is standing in front of you, saying that he's fixing to give your hide to the birds.

Now that's faith.

And when you're walking in that kind of faith, you can cry out.

And God will hear you.

And let's look at it.

This is awful.

In fact, we could call this situation the prayer of the righteous.

James 5, 16.

Number one, look at David's appeal for divine justice.

In fact, we're gonna look at three things: an appeal for divine justice, an appeal for divine mercy, and an appeal for divine action.

Oh, it's good, folks.

Get ready.

He says, and he says it, I love it.

The word there for cry is ranaw, the Hebrew word.

Ranah.

And I'm gonna share what he says here.

Hear a just cause, O Lord.

Hear the right.

And I like that.

In other words, hear the righteous, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of my faint lips.

And then verse 5, he says, Hold up my goings in the past that my footsteps not slip.

He says, Oh Lord, hear my plea for justice.

I love that.

Listen to my cry for help.

Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips.

In other words, here's what David is saying, folks, and it's powerful.

He's literally saying, Because I'm a child of the king, I have walked with you.

I am yours.

You've called me, you've given me the call to be the king.

I know that you're gonna call.

Hey, you've called me, and I know you're gonna listen to me, and I'm crying out, and the word there Ranon literally means shout.

He's shouting to God.

There's times to be reverent, and then times in desperate means to shout.

Peter didn't say, Oh, Heavenly Father, he said, Save me! I don't want to drown.

He's crying out for this divine justice, an appeal for divine justice.

David knew that if he regarded iniquity in his heart, now watch, God would not hear him.

Now listen, that's why we're talking about a clean heart.

He says, if I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me.

Psalm 66, 18.

So notice, he indeed reminds God that he has been proved, he's been visited, he's been tried, and he's been found blameless.

Now that's good.

He knew that his heart was pure.

In fact, he addresses God on three things about his purity.

Number one, under A, number one, number uh, the first part under number one, on the basis of clear thoughts.

Notice what he said.

Look at verse three.

Thou hast, and I love this, proved my heart, that has visited me in the night, that has tried me and has found nothing.

In other words, you have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.

You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.

You've searched my heart, you've found nothing wrong.

Let me remind you, the Bible says, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

Proverbs 23, 7.

Let me remind you, afar, he goes on and he says, and we are reminded that God understands our thoughts afar off.

Psalms 139, too.

Do you realize God knows your thoughts before you think them?

Now I don't know about you.

That concerns me.

Hello?

Anyone else out there that concerns you?

Get that thought out of my head.

Hurry, hurry.

Oh my goodness.

Lord, please tell me you didn't you didn't get that one, did you?

Sorry, afraid he did.

That's why Paul says you've got to cast down every imagination and every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

But bring into captivity every thought.

Woo! Every thought to the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10, 5.

You with me, church?

So we see he based this on clear thoughts.

Look at the second thing.

He based it on clean words.

Look at verse 3 again.

He says, I have purposed in my heart, I shall not transgress.

I, hey, I have uh you've examined my heart in the night and you have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.

I am determined not to sin in what I say.

Whoa! Now, can we all say, Oh me, how many times have you sinned by what you said?

I'm on every hand up here, or you gonna I'm gonna preach online.

You say, Well, I don't say bad words.

Well, let me ask you another question then.

How do you say the plain words?

What kind of attitude?

The problem is God knows what you're thinking when you're saying it, whether it's good or bad.

Hello.

Hello.

See, we get back to that thought thing.

That thought gets us every time.

Every time.

So we gotta have a pure thought life so we can have a clear speaking life.

If I regard iniquity of my heart, he said.

But now watch what Jesus said.

How can you, being evil, speak good things?

For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Oh, I didn't mean that.

Yes, you did.

How many times have I said, I didn't mean that, but I did mean it.

And you meant it too, or you wouldn't have said it.

Well, well, I can't help myself.

That's true.

But the Holy Spirit can help you.

Hello?

Hello?

Well, I just I just that's just who I am.

Well, guess what?

Change who you are.

Amen.

Become a new creation, old things.

That's your thinking, old thinking, old speaking has passed away.

Hey, all things have become new.

Second Corinthians 5, 17.

You need a new language.

By the way, if you get saved, you get a new language.

Hello?

You get a new attitude.

Now, here's the other part about Matthew 12.

Every idle word you will speak.

Oh my goodness.

He didn't say every curse word.

Hello?

I wish he'd have said that.

I don't have a problem cursing.

But then he goes on and says every idle word.

You know what that means?

When you say something without purpose.

I wonder what percentage that is of our words.

Without meaning.

Without being able to build somebody up, to encourage someone.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good.

To the use of edifying, that you may minister grace unto your hearers.

Ephesians 4.

You know what my granddaddy used to say?

I called him papa.

He said, if it's not good, if it's not building up, if it's not necessary, and if it's not spoken with kindness and love, don't say it.

Well, that would eliminate 90% of my conversation.

Well, maybe it needs to be.

Maybe it needs to be.

So we see, and let me give you one more verse.

And listen to what Solomon said.

For God is in heaven and thou upon the earth.

Therefore let thy words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5, 2.

And then remember what Jesus said.

When we pray, use not vain repetitions, as a heathen does, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Hmm.

We must realize that words do matter when we lift up our voices to address an Almighty God.

Because James says we can ask amiss.

You know what it means to ask amiss?

You're praying for what you want instead of asking God what he wants.

That's what it means to ask amiss.

So we see, 1 John 3, 21, 22, write this down.

You gotta say, if our hearts condemn us not, then we have, now don't miss this, we have confidence with God.

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

This is the commandments and the words and the principles that David was standing on.

He knew that his heart was right.

He knew he was doing what God had told him to do, and he knew that God would answer his prayers, or God would be a liar.

And let me remind you: God can't lie, Hebrews 6 18.

Amen.

So it was on the basis of his clean words, it was on the basis of his clear thoughts, and thirdly, it was on the basis of his chaste deeds.

Look at what he says in verses four and five.

I love this.

In verses four and five, here's what he says.

Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

Hold up my goings in the past that my footsteps slip not.

Wow, that my footsteps slip not.

Is that not fantastic?

Look again.

He says, I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people.

My steps have stayed on your path.

I have not wavered from following you.

Wow.

Wow, folks.

And the feet here symbolize our walk and our deeds before God.

If we are to be heard in prayer, we must be holy in our behavior.

That's what he's saying.

You got to be holy in your behavior.

Hey, he says in 1 Peter 1.15, be ye holy in all manner of conversation.

That means behavior, because it's written, be ye holy, for I am holy.

1 Peter 1, 15 and 16.

So he's saying you got to be living right, you got to be thinking right, and you got to be walking right.

True prayer is an appeal for divine justice, absolutely.

But who can pray for divine justice when our own life is out of whack?

Amen.

O me.

We get it backwards sometimes.

We want mercy before justice.

Hello?

But when we need, when we have justice and we're right with God, we always have his mercy.

And we usually have it even when we're not right.

But if you're gonna get things from God, you gotta walk right.

That was good.

I don't even know how I said that, but that was good.

Amen.

That's it.

That's it.

Look.

He appealed for justice.

Notice the second thing.

An appeal for divine mercy.

Notice what he says in verses six and seven.

Well, verse five, he says, My steps have stayed on your path.

I have not wavered from following you.

And then verse six, I love it.

And boy, is it in verse seven, I am praying to you because I know you will answer.

Notice that.

He's got confidence that God's gonna answer.

Why?

Because he's keeping his commandments and doing the things that are pleasing in his sight.

Then he says, Oh, hey, I know you will answer.

Oh, God, bend down and listen as I pray.

Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.

By your mighty power, you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies.

In other words, he's saying, God, I'm surrounded by Saul and his army.

There is no way out except you divinely intervene and take care of this situation.

And according to what your word says, I'm hey, I am confidently, I'm boldly, actually, he's shouting, Lord, take care of my enemies.

Because I know you will.

Now, this is God's already fought Goliath in this situation.

He knows what his God can do.

Amen.

He knows what his God can do.

He had already killed a bear and a lion.

As a little shepherd boy.

He knows what his gods can do.

And let me tell you, folks, he's gonna, as they were singing, hey, he's a bigger God than you can imagine.

And he'll do it again.

Somebody said, I'm worried about the election.

I am not worried, I'm concerned as a Christian, but I know my God can do it again.

And he will.

If the righteous cry out, if my people, which are called by name, by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my ways and turn from their wicked ways, then will I heal their land and forgive their sin.

Actually, forgive their sin and heal their land.

Amen.

So now he appeals for divine mercy.

And remember what I said sometimes we appeal for mercy instead of justice.

But now notice sin must be dealt with in our lives before we can claim the loving kindness of our God.

David had carefully, now look at it.

Observed this principle and therefore could comfortly appeal for watch number one under appeal for divine mercy.

The mercy of an attending God.

He says, and I love this, and it's so powerful right here when he says it too.

He says in verse 6, I have called you.

I have called you.

I love it.

For thou wilt hear me.

Wow.

Wow.

Those who do not believe in a God who hears prayer are either unregenerate, they don't know Christ as Lord and Savior, or they're backslidden.

Remember, if I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me.

It's got to be dealt with.

Justice has to be first.

Then mercy comes unbelievably.

For the Bible teaches that God's ear is always inclined to hear the cry.

By the way, the only prayer God hears of a lost person is the repentant prayer.

He hears that.

When you cry out and say, Oh God, I know that I'm a sinner, I can't save myself.

But right now, dear God, I'm asking you to come into my heart and my life and save me and change me.

We know he hears that.

But also, the Bible teaches that God's ear is always inclined to hear the cry of the repentant or of the repentant Christian.

That's been in a black, backslidden condition.

And he comes home to the Father.

Our God is an attending God.

Look at the second thing.

The mercy of a revealing God.

Boy, this is good.

Look at verse 7.

Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.

By your mighty power, you hey, hey, and I love this.

You rescue those who seek refuge from the enemy.

In other words, here's what he says.

I know you're going to rescue me.

I know you're going to save me and my army or my people that's with him about 500.

He says, You're going to save us.

Because you've promised us.

If I cast my care upon you, you take care of me.

1 Peter 5, 7.

Amen.

Call unto me.

Jeremiah 33, 3.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee.

And show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.

When the righteous cry, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Psalms 34, 17.

Wow, what truth! What unbelievable truth.

In numberless ways, God shows his mercy to us in answer to prayer, revealing his grace, revealing his power.

In times of danger when we face the opposition of the demonic powers of Satan.

I love what he says in Hebrews 4.16.

Let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we might receive mercy and grace.

Now watch, in time of need.

Is that not awesome?

Somebody give me an amen.

By the way, this is not silent preaching.

Amen.

Amen means I agree.

Amen.

Thank you.

So we see, we see God's unbelievable refuge.

God is my refuge and strength.

Psalms 46, 1.

And I love what Joshua said.

Watch what Joshua said when he was dealing in his situation.

In Joshua 3, 5, Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourself.

What does that mean?

Come out, come apart, get your heart right, get your thoughts right, get your words right, get your actions right.

Hello?

All right.

Amen.

And then notice what he says after you sanctify yourself.

For tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.

Amen.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the average.

I want to see some unbelievable great wonders.

I want to see God do the impossible.

Amen.

And I've seen it, I've seen it in two weeks, this last two weeks.

I saw it with my daughter.

Had a 70% curvature of the spine, and y'all, most of the church was, all the church praying for her and her surgery, that that spine would be flexible enough to move.

And he was hoping to be able, Did her to get it back to about 30 to 35 percent.

You know what he got it back to?

He got it to 8%.

She gained two inches in height.

That's a miracle.

Even the doctor said, I've never had this much success on an adult.

Hello! And then this Thursday had a major situation personally.

After my power went out Wednesday at 2.30 in the morning, my power's still out.

Still out.

Then they said it's gonna be out to maybe Wednesday or Thursday.

And then I said, Well, at least I got water.

Hallelujah.

Then I thought for a moment and said, No electricity, no electric hot water heater.

Well, I said, praise God, I don't have to shave.

You gotta look at the positive.

Amen.

You gotta look at the positive.

But anyway, Thursday, I was throwing my dog.

I throw in my dog, throwing my ball with my dog.

Snane's bear.

Most of y'all know how I'm madly in love with my animals.

A dog's my best friend.

You know why dog's your best friend?

I'm not gonna say that.

Susan's Susan's probably watching.

I the little joke is the dog wags his tail, not his tongue.

Just a thought, but that's bad.

All right.

But now, so I'm throwing, I'm throwing the ball.

He's so obedient, this stray dog comes across, and it's a major highway 62.

And I said, Here, boy.

And he brings it back, and I grab the ball, and by that time he sees that dog, he takes off.

Because the dog is coming into our yard.

And the road's right there.

And I'm crying out, oh God, please.

I said, Bear, stop, bear, stop.

And about that time I see the car coming.

I knew.

I just knew.

There's nothing I could do.

He wasn't stopping, he wasn't listening.

So I just said, God please save my dog.

God please save my dog.

I beg you.

The dog that he was chasing went in front of the car, hit it, killed the car.

Bears didn't slow down, never saw the car.

He hit the car wide open.

Car doing about 40, 45 miles, and just turned it.

Oh a scream I don't want to ever hear again.

He made.

And I ran to him and grabbed him.

And his blood was all in his mouth.

Because he hit it like a torpedo.

And I just prayed again.

God saved my dog.

I thought he was dead.

I thought it licked You could have heard it like a shotgun when he hit that car.

He was had everything inside of him broken.

And I grabbed him and I'm holding him.

And the guy that hit the bear hit the car and he hit the other dog.

He turned around and older Jim said, I'm so sorry.

He just came out because the dog just that he was chasing, watched him, and then turned and bang.

And Bear didn't stop.

And he hit the car.

So anyway, I said, just hold him.

Just hold him right here for me.

I went and grabbed my car, grabbed him, called Animal 280 Hospital, and said, It's Jay there, Dr.

Christman, who owns the Ho-O.

There's not a better vet in the country than Dr.

Jay Christmas.

He is fun and his whole team's phenomenal.

He said, Jay's here.

Jay said he'll be waiting.

Got him there.

Anyway, they take him in.

And for about two hours it was really touch and go.

Lungs, the fluid from the hip just was filling up, so he couldn't breathe.

So they had to go in and get the air and fluid off.

But let me tell you something.

Let me tell you why my God's awesome.

And he's still got to have some surgery only in his mouth.

Do you realize he didn't break a bone?

Didn't crack a rib?

Didn't.

And yesterday I was walking him around and he barked and he said, let me tell you, my God is an awesome God.

And he intervenes and he answers in desperate situations.

Amen.

Amen.

You say, oh, that's just that's not coincidence.

No.

The other dog's dead.

And I broke my heart for that.

But it could have easily been my bear.

But my God heard my prayer.

He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Keep praying for him.

He's still got a good ways to go.

But I'm going to see him right after church.

Every day I've been right there with him.

How many of you have got prayer answers like that?

All over this building?

All over this building.

All over this building.

And my daughter's surgery was unbelievable.

There's no way you can get me to say that my God's not awesome.

Jesus is awesome.

Amen.

Which brings me to the third part, the mercy of a protecting God.

Verse 8, keep me as the apple of thy eye.

And let me give you a proverb for that.

Proverbs 7-2.

Keep my commandments and live, and my law, the word, as the apple of your eye.

As you keep God's word as your apple, he keeps you as his apple.

Is that not good?

And his wings as a covering for you, he protects you.

Which brings me to the fourth thing: the mercy of the defending God.

Look at what he says in verse 8.

Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.

In other words, he says, I'm going to take care of you.

I'm going to protect you.

Just like he protected my daughter, he protected my dog, he'll protect us.

Can I get an amen?

He's promised us, folks.

He's promised us.

So God defends his own from the attacks of the enemy.

And by the way, let me show you how tough your enemy is.

Right here in this passage, he says, he speaks of the wicked men, verse 9, the deadly enemies, verse 9, the proud boasters, verse 10, and the greedy lions in verse 11 and 12.

Wow, is it any wonder that David appeals for the mercy of a defending God?

That's what we are facing.

A roaring lion.

That's why it says, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour.

Which brings me to my third point.

An appeal for divine action.

He's appealed for divine justice.

He's appealed for divine mercy.

Now watch.

He appeals for divine action.

Verse 13 and 15.

Well, this is good.

Look at what he says in verse 13 through 15.

Arise, O Lord, stand against them and bring them to their knees.

Rescue me from the wicked with your sword.

By the power of your hand, O Lord, destroy those who look to this world for their reward.

Be satisfied, hey, but satisfied the hunger of your treasure wants.

In other words, satisfy the hungry of the Christians.

Now watch.

May their children have plenty, leaving an inheritance for their descendants.

Because I am righteous, I will see you.

When I awake, I will see you face-face, face to face, and be satisfied.

In other words, here's what he says.

Lord, I know.

Hey, I know if it's my time, that's okay.

I'm not gonna go after King Saul.

You remember, he said, I'll not touch my anointing.

He says, I'm not gonna retaliate because that you appointed Saul, not me.

I'm not gonna do that.

But Lord, and by the way, if it's if it's my time to go, I'll be satisfied.

I'm satisfied with you.

But God, I also know that you've given me a promise.

You've given my family a promise if I follow you, the lineage of my family, to the third generation.

I know, God, I know, I know.

We have a little saying around here, CCW.

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

We know.

So, God, I know you're gonna go deliver me and my family and my lineage, and you're gonna take care of the enemy.

You're gonna take him out.

Avenge not yourself, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.

Now, folks, I don't know about you, but I'm about to have a running spell.

Because that tells me if I am walking with God, walking right, thinking right, talking right, praying right, God is obligated and promised to answer my prayers.

Amen.

So this morning, this appeal for divine action did two things.

One, the vindication of his life.

Verses 13 and 14.

He vindicated who David was.

David was confident that God's presence and power was all he needed to destroy the enemy.

And he said in verse 13, Arise, O Lord, don't disappoint, hey, don't disappoint me, but disappoint him, the enemy.

Cast him down and deliver my soul.

What decisive and dramatic, hey, crying out, God and hey, what decisive, decisive and dramatic results God does when he deals with our enemy.

Can we get an amen?

And we know the story.

David found hope and encouragement, looking beyond the earthly life, even if God chose to rescue.

Or not to rescue.

Which brings me to the last point.

The consummation of his life.

He says, I'm satisfied.

I'm satisfied.

I'm satisfied if God leaves me here another 30 years and lets me minister.

But if it's my time to go to be with him, I'm satisfied.

You can't threaten me with death.

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Can I get an amen?

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, folks.

That is nothing to be gloom and doom about.

Woo! Here's what I want the group to do.

I want them to come back up because I want us to sing.