4 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Psalm 50-54
Romans 10

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Psalm 51:11 (CSB): “Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

At last week’s prayer meeting, I used my time in front of the Wednesday congregation to encourage them to pray through Scripture. I showed them how to do it and gave a few reasons why it is so beneficial.

As expected, a couple of great comments/questions were made by those in attendance. Those reflections focused on handling God’s Word correctly. As I recall, it was alleged that some of Scripture isn’t ours to claim, and it would not be hermeneutically correct (rightly handling God’s Word) to pray those passages.

The verse I have chosen for today is one such verse.

Psalm 51 is an incredible psalm. I would encourage anyone who is grappling with guilt and conviction to consider reading and even praying through this psalm. It gives voice to the heart that is genuinely sorry for what it has done and desires to be made right with God again.

But in the middle of that psalm, we come to verse 11. This verse is something that New Testament Christians should NOT pray.

Psalm 51:11 (CSB): “Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.”

What did David have in mind when he uttered those words? He was almost certainly thinking of King Saul. God’s Holy Spirit had come upon Saul to enable Him to lead the people of Israel. In 1 Samuel 10:1, the prophet Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. A few verses later, in 1 Samuel 10:10, we read that God’s Holy Spirit came upon him. God’s Spirit enabled him to do the task before him.

But when we arrive at 1 Samuel 16:14, we realize that God had taken His Holy Spirit from Saul. King Saul had been a horrible excuse for a king, and he did not pursue or wholeheartedly obey his God. So, God removed His Spirit, leaving Saul to perform his tasks in his own strength. Saul went into a death spiral at that point.

So, when King David is lamenting his sin in Psalm 51, he remembers that God removed His Spirit from King Saul. David pleaded for God not to do the same thing to Him. David knew he needed the Lord and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. He pleaded for God not to take His Holy Spirit from him.

Psalm 51:11 (CSB): “Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.”

The reason New Testament believers should not pray this verse is that it is Old Testament theology. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit only came upon a very small group of people, primarily prophets and leaders of Israel. And He could be taken away just as easily as He was given.

But in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit has taken on a very different role. Now, He resides inside of every single follower of Jesus and will not leave us. If you doubt this, just read the following verses: John 14:17; Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Galatians 4:6; 2 Timothy 1:14. The Bible also makes clear that God’s Holy Spirit will never leave us: John 14:16-17; Romans 8:9-11; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14.

All that to say … realize that God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). It’s not merely true; it’s the standard of truth.

But … some Old Testament truth does not carry over into the New Testament. That’s why we need our thinking caps on when we approach Scripture. We need to make sure that we have a correct understanding and the right to claim the truth of a passage before we embrace it for ourselves.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help to be a serious student of His Word.
  • Ask Him to help you understand it accurately and obey it completely.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into how to study and understand the Bible, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What is biblical hermeneutics?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)