The Healing Power of Prayer

 

Sermon 3. Psalm 3 – The Healing Power of Prayer

Introduction

Over the last few weeks we have looked the topic of prayer, from the perspective of Psalms 1 and 2. We saw two weeks ago how the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. We saw last week that we live in a world ruled by evil, or to put it as Paul puts it: we live “in this present darkness”. We examined the idea that the world is far more corrupt and far more evil than most Christians think. We also noted how many Christians are lulled into a sense of complacency about the evil of this world, through all forms of books, media, social circles and more. And we saw that none other than Charles Spurgeon noted the same phenomenon in his day.

Why was Charles Spurgeon so aware of the crafty way that evil men conspire against God and his people? Probably because he was a student of God’s word, and a bold proclaimer of the truth. This brought him under attack often, and he spent many years of his life embroiled in various controversies. So, he knew what it was to face the plotting of those who wanted to bring him down. He faced these attacks boldly and fiercely with the word of God in one hand, and prayer in the other.

But what you may not know, is that Charles Spurgeon suffered from constant bouts of depression throughout his life. He spoke about it in many contexts,

“I could weep by the hour like a child, and yet I knew not what I wept for.”[i]

“I have sometimes been the means in God’s hand of healing a man who suffered with a desponding spirit. But the help I have rendered has cost me dearly.  Hours after, I have been myself depressed, and I have felt an inability to shake it off.”[ii]

One of the mightiest men the Church has ever known, who stood in verbal and written combat against many in his day, also knew the depths of depression, not just once, not just a few times, but constantly in his life. It is interesting how often the mighty are also very fragile behind the scenes. But depression, downcast-ness, feeling under attack, bad days, bad weeks, bad months, sadness, affliction of the soul, can affect all of us to different degrees.

Some of you here may also have experienced this, some of us less often, and some of us rarely. But whoever we are, hard times come upon us, times when were feel powerless, helpless, and weak. Times when we feel like there is a black cloud over us. The Psalms are a vital aid in ministering to the downcast soul. They are a vital comfort to us when we are in need.

If we do not have a healthy prayer life our troubles will weigh on us even more.

One of the most common themes in the Psalms is the voice of the Psalmist crying out in desperation to God to help them. “Why are you downcast O My soul” is a common theme in the Psalms. This begins with Psalm 3, so today, let’s examine what this Psalm has to say about the healing power of prayer, how we should pray, and how we can apply this to our lives.

David In Need (Psalm 3:1-2) – We begin by seeing that David is in need. “1 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah.” And in his need he is crying out to God.

The context - The context of Psalm 3 is written in the title text, “A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.” There is some question over the inspiration or authenticity of these titles, but as far as I know they go back as far as our copies of the Old Testament, they are in the earliest manuscripts. In fact, alternative manuscripts have more titles, not less.

So, there is really no evidence that they were added later, this is just an assumption. They often give great context to what the Psalm is referring to, or how the Israelites thought about them.

David Betrayed - The context of this Psalm is when David’s own son conspired to bring him down, we read this in 2 Samuel 15:1-6,12 –

“1 After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3 Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” 4 Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him” 6 Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel…  12 And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.”

Absalom is one of David’s more capable sons. He is obviously intelligent and a natural leader, because he devises a very careful and methodical way to take down King David, and he built a coalition to help him do it. As David says, “O Lord, how many are my foes!”

What is his plan? Do David’s job for him, and hear the complaints of the wronged.

“2 And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3 Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” 4 Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land!”

The gate of the city is where any citizen could come in Israel to seek justice. This is why the wise king in Proverbs 31 is said to, “be known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.”

David should have had appointed men sitting at the gates, making sure people’s complaints and issues are heard. But he didn’t. He failed in his duty.

Because Absalom is so clever, the conspirators grow, and David is forced to flee. Can you imagine what he was going through? Having one of his own sons turning his kingdom against him? Can you imagine what this was like? We read a bit further on,

“30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” (2 Sam. 15:30-31).

So many people turned on him. So many friends, advisors, family, subjects, people he had been good to. So many. Not everyone, but so many.

Why did this happen? Because of the conniving of his son? Yes, but he also had a hand in his own terrible situation.  

David’s Own Guilt – David’s hand was not free of guilt in his own troubles, he had in large way brought this down on himself, and many could see this, “2 many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah.” People are attacking him over his guilt. While he is fleeing from Jerusalem Shimei of the house of Saul accuses him and tells him this is God’s vengeance on him for his bloodshed against Saul (16:5-8).

This attack probably went too far, and was not deserved, because David had tried everything he could to preserve the life of Saul and his house. But his guilt in this situation was great, he had blood on his hand for other reasons.

God told him this would happen, because of his sin with Uriah’s wife,

“9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun” (2 Samuel 12:9-11).

So, he is being punished for his sin with Uriah and his wife.

He is also being punished for not punishing his son Amnon who violated his daughter Tamar which is what set Absalom off in the first place 2 Samuel 13:20-22 –

“20 And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.[d] 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.”

His is also facing the consequences of having neglected justice in his kingdom, by not placing men at the gates to hear people’s concerns. A common fault of kings who become successful and disconnected from their people.   

David was being betrayed, and at least in part, David was getting what he deserved, and what God said would happen. Therefore, when it says, “1 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah”, we can know that David would have been hearing all over the place about his guilt and he was probably even condemnation from his own conscience.

David was a good man, a decent man, a man who often did what was noble and right. He committed some terrible sins, but as happens to all good men who do bad things, these things eventually plagued his conscience.

How could a man like this, whose soul is cast down, who is weeping because of the pain of his troubles, get any rest or any peace? He turns to God.

God is his shield (vv.3-4) – David knows, that no matter where his troubles come from, whether it is the conspiracies of evil men, or his own people turning against him because didn’t rule them well, or the just punishments of God, or a combination of the lot, still his only help is in the Lord, “3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah.”

David needs help, and he knows it, the King James translates verse 2, “Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him in God…” David is not praying for salvation for his soul, he is praying for salvation from his enemies, his detractors, from his own deserved situation because of his own sins.

He is asking for help out of a terrible situation.

The accusers are saying God will not help him. But the Psalm’s know that God is our helper, “4 Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. 5 He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.” (Psalm 54:4-5). David knows this, because David wrote this, he lived this.  

When things get tough on us we tend to swing between shooting into instant action and seeking to fix things in our own strength, or despondency, where we just lock ourselves down and try to shut out people, society and everything else.

Both of these things can really work against us.

I think the first thing you should do is come to God, and ask him to help you. Ask in faith, ask constantly, ask again and again and again. Act like he hasn’t heard you yet, because his very own son told you to act like that. Luke 18:1-8 –

“18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Of course God is not the unjust judge, he is the definition of justice, but he sometimes takes his time in answering because he wants us to pursue him above all else.

This process of seeking God and placing our trust in him will help bring us piece, because through it we shield ourselves in the Lord.

God Brings Us Peace (vv.5-6) It is this coming before God that helps us find peace, especially if someone has wronged us, “5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” When David says he is surrounded by thousands of enemies who want to destroy him, he means it. He was the Lord’s anointed, the King of Israel, the enemy wanted to do him harm, and David’s own actions make this more doable.

But he could sleep in peace, because he knew he was safe in God. Whether he won, or whether he lost, he was in the hands of God.

Whether you are facing trouble from your own doing or not, even if people have wronged you terribly, you will keep yourself in a much better peace if you give it over to God. Rather than keep it in your heart and allow bitterness to grow.

In fact, this is a promise from the Lord that you can claim, Isaiah 26:3 - “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

This is especially true if someone has wronged you. I have heard so many people discuss forgiveness and how it works, and some people, people I respect, have brought up the idea that you cannot forgive unless someone asks for forgiveness.

The argument, and it is logical, goes like this: you are commanded to forgive, just as God forgives us, therefore, if someone asks you for forgiveness, you must forgive, but if they do not ask, you do not need to forgive. Because you cannot give what the other has not asked for.

I would find this argument very persuasive, except for this, Luke 23:34, “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Jesus said this when he was being murdered.

And this, Acts 7:59-60 - “59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Stephen said this as he was being murdered.  

Forgiveness is too important for our own mental health and spiritual health, to let it rely on someone else asking for it, to give it. 

But this is also true if you are upset at yourself, or kicking yourself. You should bring it to God. How often do you bring up in your mind some dumb thing you did, over and over again, feeling the shame or embarrassment about it again? How often do you this, thinking, what people must think about you?

Now, think about this, how often do you bring up in your mind something someone else did that was similarly embarrassing? Rarely, if ever, only in wedding speeches?

This is the same for other people. They are thinking about you far less than you thought, because they have their own problems.

If you keep wrestling with something like this, give these thoughts over to God, give all of these kinds of issues over to God, and ask him to sort them out. He is an expert at it.

But if you have really done some wrong, you do need to ask God to intervene with mercy on your behalf. Keep short accounts.

Let God Deal With It (vv.7-8) – Remember that we need to rely on God to avenge our enemies for us, when we have been wronged, “7 Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah.” David knew that his avenger was God. So too did our Lord Jesus.

It would be remiss of me to fail to mention in this mini-series of the Psalms, that many scholars believe that the Psalms are about our Lord Jesus, rather than just David himself. Indeed, the Psalm’s are applied to Jesus so much in the New Testament many people see in them prophesies of the ministry of Jesus. I think this is more true of some than others. But you can see it is this Psalm,

As David was surrounded by his enemies, so was Jesus surrounded by foes.

As David thought he had been abandoned, so did people say God had abandoned Jesus,

“31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him” (Mark 15:31-32).

Even Jesus himself said, “34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).

As with David sleeping in peace, so did Jesus sleep in peace, remember when the storm was about him on the boat, and his enemies the Pharisees and others were plotting against him.

As David trusted in the Lord, so did Jesus trust himself in the Lord who saved him from decay, who helped him against his enemies, who rose him up again so he could fulfill his mission to save humanity from evil.

In his earthly ministry, Jesus trusted in God to protect him and avenge him against his enemies, every bit as much as we should. And Jesus is the Son of God.

Like David, Jesus, who was the final and true Messiah, the final and true anointed one, cast his burdens on his Lord in prayer often, even crying tears of blood so intensely did he pray the night of his betrayal.

If David the King, and our King of Kings Jesus cast their cares and worries on the Lord, how much more should we? Like David we will face hard times, and be down cast because people have betrayed us or turned against us. This happened to Jesus as well. Like David we will face hard times and be down cast, because of our own sinful actions. This did not happen to Jesus.

But what happened to Jesus is he experienced our sin for us. It was laid on him, he bore it, he felt its weight, he felt its crushing power, and in that moment where he felt its anguish the most, he cried out to his heavenly father.

If our Lord does this, then how much more should we who actually bring our own sins down on ourselves cry out to our heavenly father often in prayer?

For whatever reason we are facing hard times, our fault, or not, God is our great healer and helper. Especially when we are downcast. This is not a sermon on clinical depression, and serious mental illness, there is a whole other level which may need professional help.

My suspicion of that industry that prescribes drugs too quickly is well known. I’ve preached on it and published writings about it. I am not addressing that today.

That is another discussion for another day.

What I am addressing is the more normal, run of the mill down cast spirit that everyone feels, and plagues some people more than others. Prayer is often your best port of call to deal with such malaise of your spirit. Here is another quote from Spurgeon:

“I am the subject of depression so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to.  But I always get back again by this–I know that I trust Christ.  I have no reliance but in Him, and if He falls, I shall fall with Him.  But if He does not, I shall not.  Because He lives, I shall live also, and I spring to my legs again and fight with my depressions of spirit and get the victory through it.  And so may you do, and so you must, for there is no other way of escaping from it.”[iii]

Don’t discount the healing power of prayer. Some illnesses of the heart can only be dealt with by coming to God, because they are prompted by his Spirit calling us to turn to him.  

Maybe if people prayed more, surrounded themselves in healthy environments, rejected sin, sought to live as healthily as possible, then people would feel less need for professional help?

Just a thought.

If you are sitting their thinking, I don’t have to worry about this stuff, I am pretty good, and I just suppress it, and get on with my life, then hear this one last quote,

“Fits of depression come over the most of us. Cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy.  There may be here and there men of iron to whom wear and tear work no perceptible detriment, but surely the rust frets even these; and as for ordinary men, the Lord knows and makes them to know that they are but dust. (When a Preacher is Downcast)”[iv]

Sometimes we need to be downcast, so we can evaluate where our soul is before God and be reminded that he is the only one who always gets things right.

Conclusion – Don’t discount the healing power of prayer. Don’t ignore the importance of regular prayer to your emotional life and joy. None of us is independently perfectly strong. We need to rely on God. And if you are a believer and think you don’t need to rely on God, because he loves you he will discipline you and find a way to show you how much you need him.

Go to him in prayer often.

Ask him to help you from your troubles, caused by you or otherwise.

Trust him to work powerfully in your life. Let’s pray.   

 References

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[i] https://markchanski.com/2012/05/04/suffer-from-depression-spurgeon-did-too/#:~:text=Charles%20Spurgeon%20was%20given%20to%20deep%20and%20frequent,a%20man%20who%20suffered%20with%20a%20desponding%20spirit.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Ibid.