The book of psalms is a very good collection of prayers. It’s also the Israelites book of hymns. Hymns are usually sung by men to address God. Sometimes they’re sung to others or ourselves. But most times hymns are an expression of our hearts to God. Since this is the case, it’s a form of prayer in song.

The disciples prayed everyday. Yet, they once asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Sometimes we find our prayers reach God and are effective. But sometimes we find our prayers don’t reach God and He doesn’t respond. Sometimes we know exactly what and how to pray. Sometimes we are at a loss for words.

A list of names are flashed after every service. Quite a number of people are ill. We’ve been praying for them and many don’t receive healing. We may wonder: do we continue praying for their sickness? What does it mean to pray for their sickness when God doesn’t heal them?

Prayer is something we keep thinking about. It’s a lifelong experience and lifelong learning process. That’s why it makes a lot of sense to look at Psalms to learn how to pray.

Psalm 10 and 9 are related. Many look at these two Psalms as one unit. In fact, the Greek version of the Old Testament take these two Psalms as one Psalm.

If we were to notice, the last word of psalm 9 is selah. It means a pause.

Psalm 10 shares many similarities with psalm 9; in its contents as well as its structure.

Psalm 9 is an acrostic psalm. It works around the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 10 too. So it gives the impression they are connected.

Psalm 9 is a hymn of praise telling of God’s righteous reign; about subduing the unrighteous nations. Hence the first verse of Psa 10 says, “Why do You stand afar off o Lord? Why do you hide Yourself in times of trouble?”
This isn’t a lament but a rhetorical question. It tells us God acts against the wicked. Hence v2 (read). This verse resonates with Psa 9:15. The psalmist is very confident of the righteousness of God subduing the unrighteousness of men.

v9-11 talks about the hearts of the wicked. It’s the accusation of the psalmist. The wicked people have a wicked heart and God will act against them.

v12-15 describes the ear of God. In this portion we see the petition of the psalmist.

On one hand the psalmist accuses the wicked, on the other hand the psalmist makes a petition towards the righteous God.

Psa 10
v1-11
All wickedness stems from the heart.

This psalm concludes with God’s ears. They’re inclined to the cries of the righteous.

v3 read
There’re people who actually the bad greedy ones and renounce the good; God who is good.

We often think that the innermost nature of Man is good. But it’s not true. There’re people who actually esteem the wicked and renounce good. They bless the greedy and renounce the Lord. They even boast of their heart’s desire: to see the greedy people progress; to see the Lord doesn’t act. He doesn’t want the Lord. Can you imagine how wicked the heart can be?

v6 read
This is the arrogance in the heart of the wicked man.

v11
What kind of audacity is this? He thinks God will not take him to task? This is tantamount to contempt towards God.

v3 says the wicked renounces the Lord. He says in his heart, “You will not require an account!” He either says there’s no God, or God isn’t as powerful as people say, or that God doesn’t care. So he lives his life as if God doesn’t exist.

This gives rise to actual deeds of wickedness.

v7 It begins with the mouth.

v8 talks about the eyes

v15 talks about the arm

All wickedness first stems from the heart. As Jesus says, “Out of the heart flow the issues of life.” Out of the heart, the mouth speaks. If a person has good in his heart, his mouth will say good things. But if his heart is bad, his mouth says nothing good. He won’t come to a good end.

Prov 17:20 supports this.
There’re some things we want to cast before the throne of grace. We have certain burdens. Certain things we don’t understand. We want God to answer our prayers. So we need to prepare ourselves. What does Prov 17:20 tell us? Don’t be wicked. If our hearts are wicked, God won’t regard our prayers. On the other hand we can also look at this in this way: when we’re in difficulties that are caused by evil people, we know God will one day bring all this to pass, because the wicked won’t come to a good end. God will listen to us because we aren’t wicked.

Psa 10:11
Some people may taunt: where is your God? He doesn’t even care about you?

When Jesus was hanging on the cross they taunted him too. “Where is Your God? Where is Elijah?”

The wicked will taunt the good. Don’t people taunt us when we say grace?

Don’t be shaken in our faith. Tell ourselves: God really does see.

v14 “But You have seen it…the helpless commits himself to You”

v1 is a rhetorical question because v12 says God will act. He is the helper of the helpless.

v12-18 talks about the ear of God.
The ear of God is inclined to the desires of the humble and not the wicked. He prepares their hearts, which means to make their hearts stable; to prepare their hearts to take on the challenges ahead. Often God doesn’t take away the trouble but prepare our hearts to take on the challenges ahead. This is more challenging but more rewarding. Because at the end when we look back, we see ourselves as a victor, because God has given us the strength to thrive over all our troubles.

Sometimes our heart fails because of the surrounding evils. We may also start to doubt ourselves. “Maybe God doesn’t care about me because I’m evil.”

Psa 40:12
Evils around you. And your iniquities also weigh us down. This is very true when we face trials and tribulations. Evils outside evils within. But if we turn to God and forsake the evil in our hearts, let not our heart fail. God will act against the wicked. When He does so, we know He acts for us. Unless we are wicked.

Psa 10:12 says to God to lift up His hand
v14 says to God to repay it by His hand

To repay means to act.

In conclusion:
Whenever we come to God in prayer, we’re very mindful of our needs, our challenges ahead of us. This is okay. Because the more we realise the situation we’re in, the more fervent our prayers will be. But after doing that, we must understand the hindrances before us and remove them. Above all, be able to see the hand of God acting for us. He’s ready to act. Because He’s inclining His ear to us. So in every prayer, be prepared. Because He’s prepared to hear.

That’s why in every prayer service, there’s an exhortation where God’s word is first discussed for us to hear.

This psalm also talks about the eye of the Lord. He doesn’t just see, He keenly observes. When the Israelites were in Egypt for so many years (put ourselves in their shoes), they must’ve cried out to the Lord often. Some of them might’ve been st the brink of losing hope. But what did God say to Moses in the burning hirsute “I have seen. I have heard. And I have come down.”

The eyes of God have seen. “Since your eyes have seen, lift up Your hand to act.” “You cause your ear to hear.”

If you have faith in God and are not wicked, the the only connection you have to make is key your words go into His ears. Then His hand will act. Furthermore His eyes keenly observes to seek out wickedness. When He takes away all wickedness, we will have peace and safety.

Like during the Passover when God sought out leaven. Let’s not be one of those God acted against.

v16, 18 resonates with Psalms 9. It talks about God being the overall ruler of the world. He’s not just a king now. He’s a king forever. Therefore the nations will perish out of His land.

Psa 9:19
“nations” 外邦人
The whole world is under the sway of the wicked one. But God has already established His righteous kingdom when Jesus resurrected. So wherever we are, when we’re baptised, we’re transferred to the heavenly citizenship. God is king in heaven therefore men on earth won’t have opportunity to oppress us.

In the last book of the Bible, it says that:
At last all the nations of the kingdoms of the earth will become the kingdom of God. This is something we look forward to. Indeed we’re so blessed that we’re all in the kingdom of God.

66: Lord, My Soul Will Wait for Thee
One reason we get disappointed is because we expect things will get better. Sometimes they won’t. “In the world, you will have tribulations.” Jesus didn’t say the tribulations will be gone. He says instead that He has overcome the world. So do not ask to be taken out of the world. Do not always expect tribulations to go away. But always expect yourself to be able to overcome the trials and tribulations. Jesus has overcome the world. Recognise this. And that we don’t belong to the world. We’ve been taken out to be in God’s kingdom. Spiritually, our lives have been taken out of the world. Only our bodies are left in the world. We will be preserved from the wicked one. In our prayer, let us specially pray to be protected from the evil one. God has given us the Holy Spirit as special protection. For those who have yet to receive the Holy Spirit, pray hard. The coming of the Holy Spirit is the coming of the power of God and Kingdom of God on us. For the rest, let us pray that the entire church be powerfully filled with the spirit, and that people will be attracted to us like in the days of the apostles. We pray for those in the list to be strengthened in their illness. While we pray for their healing, what God wants to see is the glory of God be seen through our bodies of weakness. “Not my will but your will” is how Jesus prayed.