A Prayer about Believing that God Is for Us

This I know, that God is for me. Psalm 56:9

Holy and Merciful God,

I admit, as I was reading this Psalm aloud in prayer the other day, 

I thought, how could David say these words so confidently: 

“This I know, that God is for me.” 

I thought about what a “big sinner” David was, 

and I wondered at his boldness to declare, 

right here in the middle of the Bible, 

that God was for him.

And then your Holy Spirit quietly spoke to my heart. 

Reminding me that I am certainly no less of a sinner 

than the “big sinner” David. 

Reminding me that you yourself called David, 

“a man after God’s own heart.” 

Even though you saw every one of his sins, 

“big and little.” 

Reminding me that we have all sinned 

and fallen short of your glory (Romans 3:23). 

Reminding me of the meaning of the atonement 

we prayed about yesterday: 

because Jesus bore the punishment for my sins on the cross, 

I am now reconciled to God. 

Indeed, “God is for me.” 

We too, as those who have known the freedom 

from our slavery to sin, 

can proclaim, 

loudly, 

boldly, 

confidently, 

“This I know, God is for me.” 

And even as we proclaim this truth, 

we can know in all of our ongoing battles 

with sin and suffering,

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

What astonishingly good news! 

In Jesus’ hope-giving name. Amen.

Read Psalm 56; Romans 8:31-39.