Craig T. Owens

King David’s wholehearted devotion to God is well known. We can see it especially in the most trying moments of his life. And what I see is a real man … a (super)man of prayer.

David opens the 108th Psalm with a declaration: “My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul” (108:1).

He is really saying, “No matter what, I will praise God. The situation will never distract me from focusing on the One who is worthy to receive the very best praise I can offer!” And it’s a good thing he made this declaration, because in the very next psalm he begins a nasty description of wicked and deceitful men who would almost cause David to focus on them instead of God.

David responds, “BUT I am a man of prayer” (109:4). David’s knee-jerk reaction when slandered by bad guys was to hit his knees in prayer! And, boy oh boy, did he let loose in prayer!

I love how honest David is with his hurt feelings in God’s presence. Never in all the narratives in the books of Samuel or Kings or Chronicles do we read anything of David saying these sorts of things to his enemies. But since these thoughts are in his heart, he must get them out in the presence of his God.

I also love David’s singular desire for God to receive all the glory—“Help me, O Lord my God; save me in accordance with Your love. Let them know that it is Your hand, that You, O Lord, have done it” (109:26-27).

I pray that I can become more and more a (super)man of prayer like David! Look! Down on his knees … it’s a (super)man of prayer!