86. The Sinner’s Prayer
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Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:1D
AVID’Saffair with Bathsheba is one of the Bible’s steamiest love
stories. His decision to send Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to
his ultimate death at the front lines of Israel’s battle shows us just
how far David went to get the woman he never should have had (see
2 Samuel 11).
David’s sin, his contrition, and his yearning to be restored to the
joy of God’s salvation are at the heart of his prayer in Psalm 51. It
contains his fervent plea for God’s mercy.
It may be tempting to take the Pharisee’s stance and see Psalm 51
as inapplicable in our lives. But if we are honest we will see that our
sin is no different from David’s in God’s eyes. We will recognize the
truth of Paul’s statement: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God” (Rom. 3:23).
Only as we recognize that truth can we come to the Lord, seeking