Praying Psalm 51

Psalm 51 is a prayer of confession and faith. It begins with a cry for mercy and forgiveness spoken from a sense of guilt.  The writer is keenly aware of the power of sin in his life.  He knows his wrongdoings.  He offers no excuse.  He does not try to wiggle out of responsibility or pass blame on to others.  His courage to see himself as he is, with this mark of sin, attests to his confident trust in God’s forgiving nature.  Trusting that God will forgive, the writer faces his own sinfulness and need for grace.  The honesty of this psalm is a refreshing witness to the powerful work of grace.  He trust God to welcome honest confession, a broken hearted cry for grace. (See verse 17)

The writer prays for forgiveness, to be washed clean of his sinfulness.  He asks for a transformation of his heart and spirit.  “Create a clean heart for me, God; put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me!...Return the joy of your salvation to me and sustain me with a willing spirit.” 

So how might this prayer become our prayer?  One option is to pray, “Have mercy on me, O God.”   Become aware of confessions of wrongdoing,  words or actions brought hurt or harm to someone. Let this awareness  lead you  to confession.    Another option would be to pray, “Create a clean heart in me, O God; put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me.”  Allow these words to lead you to consider any situations or circumstances where you need this transformation to take place.