After God's HeartSample

Desperate for God

With these words, David expresses his deep dependence upon God. “Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.” What? David is poor and needy? Isn’t David wealthy and powerful beyond words? Is David not king over Israel at the height of Israel’s glory? Yes, David is king. So how can he cry out, “I am poor and needy?” David is referring to spiritual poverty, not financial poverty. This is poverty of spirit. This is the first beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is the first beatitude because it is the most basic beatitude. This is where our relationship with God begins: with dependence, with humility, with our deep sense of need for God. David is saying, “Lord, how I need you. I’m totally dependent upon you. If you don’t deliver me, I have no chance. If you don’t rescue me, I’m sunk. O God, hear my prayer. Hear and answer.” David is clearly desperate for God. Do you feel this way? Do you feel desperate for God? Do you ever feel like saying, “Lord, if you don’t intervene, I’m sunk”?

Jackson Senyonga is a pastor in Uganda who has seen revival and transformation in his country. On his trips to the United States, he commented, “You in America are not desperate enough. You are addicted to a spirit of ease and comfort.” O Lord, help us in America to realize how desperate we really are.