Pray for Obedience

Psalm 119:33–37 (ESV) Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. 35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.

We are fallen. I think that is an understatement. We often do not realize how fallen we are. And the call to obey God is not just to do what's right, but to think it, and feel it, and do what's right right with the right motivation at the right time.

That's a tall order. But it makes us realize just how fallen we are.

It's good to admit your fallen. Otherwise, how will you ever get help?

The Psalmist here has no problem telling God he needs help to obey the Word. He has already made it clear he loves God's Word. Now he's confessing that he lacks he means necessary within himself to obey God's Word. That's fallenness. That's why he prays to obey.

We often forget: we can agree God's way is right and STILL fail.
Paul said it best in Romans 7:
Romans 7:16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
Romans 7:22–23 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

You know what Paul's next phrase is?
Romans 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Forgetting our fallenness is what keeps us from doing what we must - turning to Christ and seeking His salvation instead of our own foolish self-salvation projects to try harder and do better or avoid "those" people. We need a savior.

The Psalmist prays for obedience because he recognizes his own frailty in ability to obey. What a great idea! God, thank you for saving me from sin, now save me from my self. This is the path of Christ. Not to think we can do it and earn God's favor, but to admit we can't and don't deserve God's favor.

That's the Gospel.
That's the Truth.