The topic this morning is “Gritty Prayer.” Grit is about passion and perseverance. It’s about taking the long view… sticking w/your future day in and day out… and not just for a week or month but for years. Grit is living life like a marathon, not a sprint (Adapted from Angela Duckworth). Grit determines our success in life as much as anything else.
So when you pray, is it more like a marathon or a sprint? Do you pray with a kind of stubborn persistence, a gritty faith that doesn’t give up? Or do you tend to pray more casually, resigned to whatever you face in life?
Something that makes for a gritty prayer life is when your life is on the line, when you have something at stake. Maybe you’re facing danger. Maybe you’re facing injustice, unemployment, or a financial crisis. Maybe your health is failing, someone you care about is chronically ill, or a relationship is deteriorating…
Prayer takes on a grittier texture in times of trouble. This was definitely true for David. I don’t know how you’ve felt these past few weeks, hearing about all the anger and violence… first in Dallas, then cities across the U.S., then the tragedy in Nice, Paris. The days are growing increasingly evil. Every time I’ve thought “things can’t get any darker”, something like Nice, Paris happens!
I don’t believe that prayer operates like a magic wand. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could instantly pray all our troubles away? David was a man who prayed with incredible resolve. He saw the future for what it should be, and prayed with gritty fire/passion. He saw prayer as a productive path for overcoming trouble.
I want to begin by talking about King Saul. In Bible times, God desired to rule over his people by his Holy Spirit, by his Written Word, through his Prophets and Priests. Israel was what is known as a Theocracy—a nation ruled by God himself. But the Israelites wanted to be ruled by a human King, and be like all the “cool” nations. Sometimes instead of resisting us, God gives us exactly what we want.
But God warned Israel, through the prophet Samuel, what they could expect. “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders or thousands and commanders of fifties, others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.” (1 Samuel 8:10-18)
Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” King Saul was Israel’s first king. And not only did he have absolute power, but his power corrupted him absolutely. In short time he lost the favor of God, and is rejected by God as the King of Israel. In 1 Samuel 15:10 the Lord says to Samuel, “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” In 1 Samuel 16:14 we’re even told “the Spirit of the Lord departed Saul.” In Saul’s place, God anoints David to become king of Israel, because as the Bible says, “David was a man after God’s own heart.”
But here is the dynamic. Saul becomes aware that God is raising David up to be king over Israel. When David killed Goliath, Saul had admiration for David. But when the people started singing about David’s exploits, Saul’s admiration turned into jealousy, then into anger, animosity, and fear. Next Saul hurled a spear at David, to try and pin him to the wall, and intimidate him.
But Saul doesn’t stop there. He repeatedly plots to have David killed, like sending David out alone to attack the Philistines in order to have his daughter’s hand in marriage. When David comes back alive, Saul sends his attendants to kill David. Then he sends his own son Jonathan to kill David. And when all that fails, Saul himself begins to hunt down David wherever he can be found.
Saul is rash. He’s insecure. He’s angry and fearful. He’s corrupt, he’s selfish, he’s Machiavellian, he abuses his authority and power. He governs harshly. For him, “The ends justifies his meanness.” Saul is every bit the nightmare God warned Israel their king would become. . . and more kings like Saul would follow.
[Symbol] Friends, part of gritty prayer is that we need to pray for authorities. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
Why is this important? Because absolute power corrupts absolutely. And those in power tend to every bit like Saul… arrogant, blind, prayerless, corrupt. What if we’re getting about the quality of leaders we’ve prayed or not prayed for? What’s it look like to pray for the very kings, and nations, and authority figures we believe oppressing us?
The grittiest prayers you will find in your Bible are David praying about what Saul is doing to him. Saul has the levers of power, and owns all the machinery of war, and he’s literally chasing David across the countryside… city to city, pasture to pasture, cave to cave. I think it’s naïve to ignore the corruptive nature of power. Power is just as likely to corrupt Barney Fife the mall cop, as it the president of the United States, as it can city officer or police officer, or soldier. The Bible says, “Pray for all those in authority… that we may live peace, quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” Pray their eyes will be open, that they’d govern with integrity of character, humility of heart, fairness and justice, sobriety...
Part of gritty prayer is praying for physical protection and safety. Whether David was going into battle, or being pursued by Saul’s army, he believed the Lord would “tangibly” protect his life. In Psalm 71 David prays, “In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel. For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.”
Part of gritty prayer is praying for righteousness and integrity. Could you imagine the rage David must have felt? How easy it is to let anger, rage, negative emotions hijack our character. Power doesn’t just corrupt the abuser, or oppressor. Power is just as likely to corrupt those it oppresses/ victimizes.
To his credit, David went to extraordinary measures to guard his own integrity. Once when David was on the run he had the presence of mind to write Psalm 34:12-16, “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to cry; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. . .”
Sometimes your cause is already hard enough… how much more impossible might it be if you forfeited character? Something I observe is that people often have a credible concern… but because they lack character, or because they take justice into their own hands… they are often discredited and become a caricature of their cause. In the Psalms (Psalm 41:12), David continually concerned the Lord uphold his righteousness, and his just cause.
Part of gritty prayer is praying for redemption of both oppressed/oppressor. I find it fascinating that on two different occasions David has the opportunity to take Saul’s life. The first occasion is when Saul is pursuing David through the desert. In the middle of the search, Saul enters a cave to relieve his bladder—not knowing that David and his men were in the back of the cave. They were probably like, “Shhh…. Shhh…. Here he comes!!!!” Only it wasn’t the kind of surprise party Saul would have wanted! As Saul does his business, David sneaks up behind him and cuts off part of his robe.
In the moment David recalls the words of the Lord, “I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.” Boy if the tables were turned, and you had the opportunity to do to your enemy (or that authority figure) whatever you wish, what would you do?
Not only did David spare the king’s life, but he ran out of the cave after him. He bowed down. He said, “My Lord the king! Don’t believe the lies about me… This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I have spared you… look here is a piece of your robe… may the Lord judge between us, and consider my cause, and uphold it, and may Lord vindicate me by delivering me from your hand…” (1 Samuel 24:8-15)
The second occasion comes much later. Saul is sleeping in his camp, late at night, surrounded by his army. David sneaks into the camp and steals Saul’s sword while he sleeps. And once again, he proves to Saul his intention not to harm him, but to honor him as king.
Here is my question:: If someone we’re oppressing you… if someone was abusing their power and authority… if someone was trying to kill you… how much prayer would it take to bring you to a place of mercy where not only would you spare their life, but you would leave room for God’s grace to be at work? A prayerless life is rife with black and blue thinking. The person who never prays only sees black or only sees blue. But David sees that not only does his life matters (the oppressed), but so does Saul’s life (the oppressor). And more than this, David is willing to move toward peace with Saul despite all that has happened.
If the tables were turned would you show mercy? When it’s in your power to act… to you act according to God’s purpose and grace? You see gritty prayer doesn’t just transform us, it transforms the very circumstances we find ourselves in.
PRACTICAL :: GRITTY PRAYER IS ROMANS 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
SO WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE: Romans 12:14-21…. David’s Life!!