A Gracious Prayer
Psalm 119:41
Let your mercies come also to me, O LORD, even your salvation, according to your word.…


1. It is in itself a very gracious prayer.

(1) It is offered on right grounds. There is no mention of merit or desert. His entreaty is for mercy only.

(2) It asks for the right thing — "Thy salvation." Do not dispute against God's salvation, but accept it in its entirety, just as it is revealed.

(3) It is put in the right form. "According to Thy Word." He wishes to be saved in the manner which the Lord has appointed.

(4) It is conceived and uttered in a humble spirit. He owns his helplessness. He cannot get at the mercy, he wants it to "come to" him.

2. This prayer maybe supported by gracious arguments. Pray like this. Say, "Lord, let Thy mercy come to me, for I need mercy." Do not go on the tack of trying to show that you are good, because mercy will then pass you by. To argue merit is to plead against yourself. Next plead this: "Lord, Thou knowest, and Thou hast made me to know somewhat of what will become of me if Thy mercy does not come to me. I must perish miserably. I have heard the Gospel, and have neglected it; I have been a despiser of Christ, even when I stood up and sang His praises, for I sang them with a hypocrite's lips. The hottest place in hell will surely be mine unless Thy mercy come to me. Oh, send that mercy, now." This is good and prevalent pleading: hold on to it. Then plead: "If Thy mercy shall come to me it will be a great wonder, Lord. I have not the confidence to do more than faintly hope it may come; but, oh, if Thou dost ever blot out my sin I will tell the world of it; I will tell the angels of it: through eternity I will sing Thy praises, and claim to be of all the saved ones the most remarkable instance of what Thy sovereign grace can do." There is another plea implied in the prayer, and a very sweet argument it is — "Let Thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord." It means, "It has come to so many before, therefore let it come also unto me. Lord, if I were the only one, and Thou hadst never saved a sinner before, yet would I venture upon Thy word and promise. Especially I would come and trust the blood of Jesus: but, Lord, I am not the first by many millions. I beseech Thee, then, of Thy great love, let. Thy salvation come unto me."

3. This blessedly gracious prayer, which I have helped to back up with arguments, will be answered by our gracious God. Oh, be sure of this, He never sent His prophets to preach to us a salvation which cannot be ours; He never sent His apostles to report to us concerning a mere dream; He never set the angels wondering at an empty speculation; He never gave His Son to be a ransom which will not redeem; and He never Committed His Spirit to witness to that which after all will mock the sinner's need. No, He is able to save: there is salvation, there is salvation to be had, to be had now, even now.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: VAU. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

WEB: Let your loving kindness also come to me, Yahweh, your salvation, according to your word.




The Dreaded and the Desired
Top of Page
Top of Page