After God’s Own Heart

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation." — Psalm 5:3

One of the things I have always admired about King David was his close relationship with God. Despite his many failings — adultery, murder, his inability to discipline his children — David maintained an intimate connection with God throughout his life. In fact, God called him “a man after my own heart.” How did David earn such high esteem from God?

I believe some of the answers lie in the opening verses of Psalm 5. Written during a difficult period in David’s life, as he was surrounded and distressed by his enemies, this psalm finds David pleading with God to “give ear to my words,” to “consider my sighing,” “to listen to my cry of help.” As he does so, David reaffirms God as his King, the only One to whom he prays. David reveals his total dependence and reliance on God. David knew without a doubt that God alone could help him.

His confidence is further revealed in verse 3, as he writes, “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” We see two important lessons here. First, David prayed expecting God to answer him. For David, praying wasn’t wishful thinking or an exercise in futility. It was a real exchange between David and God rooted in mutual love and faithfulness. David had faith that God would hear his heartfelt prayers and answer him.

Finally, we see that David consistently spent time in prayer with God. Verse 3 is translated as “each morning” in the New Living Translation; in the New King James, the verse begins “My voice You shall hear in the morning.” Prayer was woven into David’s daily routine; it wasn’t a once-in-a-while occurrence. David habitually found time to lay his requests before God.

Want to be known as a person after God’s own heart? I think we can as we acknowledge God as our Help and King, as we come to Him in total dependence and expectation, and as we make spending time with Him part of our daily routine.

We can begin today, as we pray like David: “Listen to my cry for help, my King and God, for I will never pray to anyone but you” (v. 2, New Living Translation).

With prayers for shalom, peace,


Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein