Title: 122919 Message Notes Psalm 86: The Heart of Prayer 1Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 3Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. 4Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 6Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. 8There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 11Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. Psalms 86:1-11 I. The Foundation of Prayer (1-7;14-17) 1Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Psalms 86:1 2Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 3Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. 4Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. Psalms 86:2-4 1Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Psalms 86:1 “Humility is an indispensable requisite of true prayer. It must be an attribute, a characteristic of prayer. Humility must be in the praying character as light is in the sun. Prayer has no beginning , no ending, no being, without humility. As a ship is made for the sea, so prayer is made for humility, and so humility is made for prayer.” —E.M. Bounds II. The Focus of Prayer (8-10; 12-13) 8There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Psalms 86:8-10 v.5 —Good and forgiving vv. 5,15 —abounding in steadfast love (hesed) vv.8,10 — Unrivaled by other gods v.10 —Great and doer of wondrous things v. 15 — Merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in faithfulness. 12I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. 13For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. Psalms 86:12-13 III. The Fruit of Prayer (11) 11Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. Psalms 86:11 Our great neediness should drive us to pray to the one true God, who alone can deliver us and unite our hearts to endure difficult times.