Scripture
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 51:1-2 NIV
Question
How do you need God’s mercy today?
Psalm 51
A Prayer for Mercy
Why do we often turn away from God instead of toward God in our sin? In Psalm 51, David turns to God. He has sinned terribly, awfully, and has caused irreparable damage. But after Nathan the prophet confronts David about his sin, David repents and prays passionately for God’s mercy and forgiveness. His prayer has served as a model for the people of God for millennia.
He begins:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight... (vv. 1-4)
David gets right to the point. He doesn’t remind God of all the good he’s done—his ability to slay giants, write songs, or rule
kingdoms— he simply appeals to the inexhaustible mercy of God. Also, David clarifies that he has sinned against God.
Pastor and author Eugene Peterson said: “To say: ‘O God, I have sinned against you’ is not the worst-case scenario, it’s the best- case scenario. The one you have sinned against is the one who has always been set apart by his mercy.”
David goes on to pray:
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (vv. 10-12)
This whole psalm is worthy of adding to your regular prayers. It is drenched in the deep spiritual wisdom we all need when we have sinned to remind us to turn to our merciful, loving God.
He begins:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight... (vv. 1-4)
David gets right to the point. He doesn’t remind God of all the good he’s done—his ability to slay giants, write songs, or rule
kingdoms— he simply appeals to the inexhaustible mercy of God. Also, David clarifies that he has sinned against God.
Pastor and author Eugene Peterson said: “To say: ‘O God, I have sinned against you’ is not the worst-case scenario, it’s the best- case scenario. The one you have sinned against is the one who has always been set apart by his mercy.”
David goes on to pray:
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (vv. 10-12)
This whole psalm is worthy of adding to your regular prayers. It is drenched in the deep spiritual wisdom we all need when we have sinned to remind us to turn to our merciful, loving God.
Prayer