David's Prayer/Overcoming Guilt

Psalms 51:1-17

David's Prayer of Confession – verses 1-6

David begins with a cry for God to have mercy upon him. He does so appealing to God’s faithfulness and compassion. David has sought for over a year to hide his guilt. He knows that in reality he cannot hide it from God but like many he believes it will remain undetected and there will be no consequences for his sinful actions. In Psalms 38 and 39, David’s own words is what happened during the time he remained silent. Psalm 38 verse 4. His guilt was a heavy burden on his life. 

The sin exposure actually brought relief to David’s heart and soul. The burden which had weighed so heavily on his life, that had taken its toll mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually was about to be lifted. The anticipation of it being removed brought relief to a weary man. Having been exposed as an adulterer and a murderer David casts himself on the merciful compassion of God.

God cleansed David and in so doing restored a right relationship between them. For a year David had suffered the pain of a broken relationship with God now experiencing forgiveness he longs for a restored relationship with God and to experience once again the joy which he once knew in God’s salvation.

Note how in these verses David not only faces up to the revelation of his sin and guilt but also how he takes personal responsibility for his sin and guilt. Note how he speaks of ‘my sin’ and ‘I have sinned.’ David does not try to evade his guilt but faces it and admits it openly. David does not try to make excuses for his sin, nor does he try to pass the blame on to someone or something else. So there is the first lesson in overcoming guilt – you must admit your guilt.

The second thing which David did in these verses was that he sought God’s forgiveness. Listen to what he says – blot out, wash thoroughly and cleanse completely. 

David tried to hide the guilt of his adultery by murdering Uriah and marrying Bathsheba but try as he would there was no means for him to remove the stain of guilt from his soul and the burden of that guilt crushed him daily. He turns to God and he cries to God to blot it out. That is to remove it from the record – God alone could do this.

David asks God to wash him thoroughly – the stains of guilt were deeply ingrained in David’s life and only God could remove them. He then asks God to cleanse him completely of the guilt that weighed heavy on his soul – David wanted to not only know the forgiveness of his guilt but also freedom from his guilt.

David had no contentment in his life because of the torment of his soul. So in verses 3-4 he opens his sinful heart before God. This is no introspection but and honest realization of his standing before God. David knows that his sin is ultimately against God and he knows that God’s judgment on him is right. He has come to a proper understanding and realization of how sinful and guilty he actually is. 

In verses 5-6 David speaks further of his sinfulness and admits that without God revealing such to him he would have no understanding of his spiritual state. The same is true for you and I.  Without the work of the Holy Spirit opening our eyes to our sinful nature we have no proper understanding of how truly sinful and guilty we are.

David's Prayer for Restoration – verses 7-12

When David has confessed his sin and sought God’s forgiveness for his guilt he then calls upon God to restore him. I find that interesting. David was not content just to be forgiven. He wanted more than the guilt to be removed from his soul – he wanted a right relationship with God restored. David knew what it was to have a right relationship with God and that relationship was broken because of his guilt.

When the guilt was removed by the cleansing power and work of God, David then asked for the relationship with God to be restored. David asks God to cleanse him with hyssop – this was the action of the OT priest to declare the penitent ceremonially clean and acceptable for participation in worship. David asks God to declare him acceptable in his presence. He asks God to restore to him the joy of salvation which he once knew but was lost because of sin. 

When guilt burdens your soul then it steals the joy that you once knew in salvation. However, the result of forgiveness by God is joy restored in the heart of a man. Here is the beginning of David experiencing not only forgiveness but freedom from guilt. When God forgives he also restores. He not only blotted out David’s guilt, he washed him thoroughly and declared him acceptable in his presence.

No doubt during the year that David had sought to conceal his guilt he went through the motions of his faith. All the time God knew his heart was not right. Every time he participated in worship his guilt just grew and the burden became heavier and heavier.

Having been forgiven David’s desire is to remain in the presence of God and not to be excluded from it again. He had experienced what it was like for God to hide his face from him because of his sin. He had experienced what it was like to be burdened with guilt. Now he asks God for the Holy Spirit to abide in his life that this joy of a restored relationship with God might also remain in his life.

David's Time for Thanksgiving – verses 13-17

Finally David declares that he will praise God and point other people in the right path of forgiveness and freedom. David’s concern is that others might know the forgiveness that he has experienced. His praise of God is an appropriate response to the experience of guilt forgiven.

The deliverance which David has experienced is divine in origin and working. David could not cleanse himself nor free himself from guilt. Knowing his forgiveness he asks God that his heart would be committed to God – David knows from the day of his calling as king that God’s concern is with the heart of a man and not the externals (1 Samuel 16.7).

I would close by saying to each of us – Guilt is a positive thing when it moves us to confess our sins and seek God’s forgiveness. When we have done that we must believe and live according to what Scripture teaches – that we are forgiven and live in the freedom of that forgiveness.

~Bits and Pieces of the sermon "Overcoming Guilt" by Al McCann