Today we are beginning a new teaching series called “The power of prayer.”

Our series is based out of Psalm 139, where David prays 4 very specific petitions asking the Lord to do a deep and thorough search of his heart and inner life- Throughout this series, that’s our desire too.

Search me, test me, uncover my sins, and lead me.

David is inviting the Lord to go beyond the normal places, to the deep places of his very heart.

Prayer like this is vulnerable. It’s a complete opening of ourselves to the Lord. To allow him access not just to the places we know, to places we might be comfortable with, but beyond, to the places that only he can know.

And that can cause serious disruptions in our relationship with the Lord.

Just ask Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends.

Can you imagine the shock of these words? They had been together for 3 years now. Seen and done some amazing things. Now, Jesus turns to them and says “Boys, you are about to walk out on me. Every one of you”

"No way Jesus- not gonna happen. I would never do that, even if everyone else does.” The Apostle Peter cannot see it, he doesnt know that about himself.

You probably already know the rest of the story. Peter really didn’t know himself as well as he thought, did he? He would deny Jesus, not just once, but three times. Cussing, fussing, and swearing that he had never even met Jesus. It turns out Jesus knew Peter's heart better than he did, and he knows your heart better than you do.

Just like Peter struggled to see beyond his own perception of his loyalty, we too struggle to see and know what lays deep within our hearts.

In Psalm 139 David is inviting the Lord behind the curtain, behind what even David himself knows, to search him, to test him, to uncover hidden sin, and to lead him. As David sought the Lord in these areas, we want to do that as well.

Throughout this series we want to explore the four prayers: Search me, test me, uncover my sins, and lead me.

Before we dive right into verses 23 and 24, we need to journey with David through the rest of the Psalm. There we find David’s heart and mind turning to the Lord in worship and praise, which is a critical part of our journey in seeking to engage God through prayer.

The text opens examining God’s limitless knowledge. This attribute of God is often called his omniscience. This simply means there is nothing outside of God’s knowledge, there is no thought he doesn’t know, no action he isn’t aware of, no word spoken he hasn’t heard, even before its uttered.

God’s knowledge of you goes far beyond your reputation or your actions- he knows your very thoughts.

As we begin to think about opening ourselves up to the Lord, there is nothing he doesn’t already know- nothing will surprise him.

God knows us better than we know ourselves.

David here recognizes God limitless presence- His omnipotence. Not only does the Lord know everything in his omniscience, but he is also everywhere in omnipotence.

That means there is nowhere you can go to escape God’s presence.

That’s a great comfort for those who are seeking him, but it’s a great challenge to those who think they can hide form the Lord. Everyone in Scripture who tries to hide from the Lord, fails. And you can’t do it either.

God is everywhere in Omnipresence, all knowing in omniscience, and all powerful in his omnipotence. There is no limit to Gods creative power- The power that even created you.

And then, just when you think you know where David is going, he makes a hard, skidding left turn. Hold on tight.

True to life and the experience of our world, David addresses the sin and brokenness of our world by appealing to God’s justice.

With honest and vivid language, David doesn’t hold back his feelings. He doesn’t plead his case as much as he declares his desire to side with the Lord- those who are an enemy of the Lord, would be an enemy of his.

With the wicked in mind, David now says, essentially, O Lord, don’t let me fall into the trap in which they find themselves. Don't let me by a hypocrite.

If David was going to take the sin of others seriously, he knew he must first take it seriously in his own life. He would need to invite the all-knowing, ever present, all powerful and just God to search the deep recesses of his heart.
Search my heart, test me, uncover my sins, and lead me.

"Lord, I know it won’t be easy…and I’m a little hesitant as I ask but, please, SEARCH ME."

The prayer of Psalm 139 is powerfully intimate- It goes behind the façade we put on for people, the one that says everything’s all right.

It sees through the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, even the story we tell ourselves of how good we are.

It’s a prayer that goes beyond the very words that make it up.

It’s a prayer that reaches for the very heart of God, and welcomes him in.

Will you allow him to work in your life? No matter what he finds?

When you ask the Lord to search you, you may not like what he finds, but you will love how he redeems it. Will you trust him today?

Will you pray “Search me, God, and know my heart”?