Psalm 55:1-8 Restless Prayer Syndrome

James J. Tissot,
'David Quits Jerusalem' (1898-1902),
The Jewish Museum, New York.

This psalm contains David’s lament at the betrayal he suffered at the hands of his closest counselor. Previously, I have focused my comments mostly on verses from the middle part of the psalm (e.g., 9-11, 12-14, 16-18). So, for this post, I will do something new and focus on the first eight verses while not ignoring the rest of the psalm.

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me. (v.1-3)

Perhaps you have seen the endless commercials for prescription drugs for an array of ailments including “restless leg syndrome.” While I don’t suffer from such an ailment, there are times when I can’t get comfortable sitting still. Recently, this happened when a headache kept me from a good night’s sleep. When thinking about these experiences and reading Psalm 55, I wonder if David suffered from a “restless prayer syndrome” where he couldn’t stop pouring out his complaints and prayers for God’s delivering mercy. I wonder if our focus is on our complaint or our plea for mercy in times like that. We all could name people who are heavy on the complaint and light on asking for mercy… because we don’t want to admit that we need it. While David had legitimate personal and corporate complaints, he knew all too well that he constantly needed divine mercy. Also in David’s favor was that “he knew a guy” upon whom he should cast his burdens… the Lord Himself!

My current office is in a building shared with a large Christian preschool. Every morning I hear a cacophony of crying and some pretty regular tantrums that pierce the wall and assault my ears. While those children are not enemies, I sometimes feel restless and even groan a bit because the noise is exhausting. However, some people experience far worse and face debilitating pain, either physically, or relationally. Still, others are persecuted by those in power because of their faith, moral stands, or political beliefs, and they take those situations to God in prayer.

At the time this psalm was written, David had not only been betrayed by his closest counselor (Ahithophel) but also by his own son (Absalom). Rather than fight for his life and rights, David fled for his life out of Jerusalem (See the narrative in 2 Samuel 15-16). Yet, in his heart, he didn’t go so far that he couldn’t hear their shouting and crude behavior from the city walls (v. 9-11). Such wanton hate manifested in violence and immorality grieved David and had him looking for an exit strategy to fly away and find peace.

Mourning Dove. Photo: Cliff Fahey Sr.

My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and horror overwhelms me.
And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
I would hurry to find a shelter
    from the raging wind and tempest.” (v.4-8)

Yet, he was not a dove who could fly away. He was responsible for the people with him and was about to be pursued. I can picture every step he took being punctuated with prayer for mercy and longing for God to bring the counsel of the wicked to an end.

Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
    ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace. (v. 9-11)

David poetically observes seven wrong things among those who didn't fear God and betrayed their friends. Can you find them all? [*See answer below] This description in v. 10-11 reminds me of Habakkuk’s complaint to the Lord (Hab. 1:2-4) which was answered by the revelation that righteous judgment would come swiftly at the hands of the Babylonian army.

David mourns the loss of his former friend and counselor. Sometimes people will fail us even when they don’t mean to. Others will intentionally betray their friends when they see some profit in doing so. David experienced it 3500 years ago. Such behavior is still present today. Paul warned Timothy,

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.  (2 Tim. 3:1-5)

There are plenty of problems for us to pray about, and plenty of areas in our hearts we need to surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We should not love ourselves more than we love God and others. If we love Jesus, and we know that he loves us, we want to talk to him about most everything. Our prayer life can develop into a running conversation where we talk to the Lord and then listen for how he will answer not in a transactional way but in a relational sense. We will enjoy sheltering in his presence.

The world around us is often unsafe because it is filled with people with evil in their hearts. David minces no words in trusting that the Lord will bring justice upon the betrayers and verses 15 and 23 are especially intense and even prophetic.

Not only was David restlessly consistent and even relentless in calling on the Lord God but toward the end of the psalm, he encourages the readers/hearers to cast their burden on the Lord who will never betray.

Cast your burden on the LORD,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved." (v.22)

Prayer doesn’t need to be a duty or a discipline when we are in need. In those times we will pray restless prayers like David longing for the comfort and deliverance found in God. In times of joy and abundance, we will pray out of an overflow of gratitude.

I hope that we never get comfortable with a prayer-less life. May the Spirit use either need or joy to make us restless to speak to our Savior! Flying away like a dove rarely brings true rest. Instead, lasting peace comes from running to the Lord who rewards those who seek him (Heb. 11:6).

What a precious truth it is that he is with us no matter where we are or what we face.

 

*Answer: In verses 10-11 David poetically observes seven wrong things when the city was in the hands of those faithless betrayers. Violence, strife, iniquity, trouble, ruin, oppression, and fraud.