In Ps 143:8, twice David said to the Lord “Cause me.” To cause is to make it happen. He said, “Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning.” And he said, “Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk.” By searching for the phrase “cause me,” I found some verses that help us see how we can ask the Lord to cause us to do some very important things. We should pray, Cause me:
To hear thy voice – Ps 143:8 – cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning. SOS 8:13 says “the companions hearkened to thy voice: cause me to hear it.” The morning is a very special time in your relationship to the Lord. It is the time to hear the Lord’s voice in his words and for the Lord to hear your voice in prayer [Ps 5:3]. I recently told a fellow to read his Bible until he heard what the Lord wanted him to hear that day. Job said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Job wanted to hear the Lord’s voice more than he wanted to eat. When you come to the word of God listening, the Lord will talk to you.
To know thy way – Ps 143:8 – cause me to know the way wherein I should walk. We have said that the Christian life is lived step by step. We simply must know the next right step. When you look to the Lord for direction in your life, the Lord will cause you to know the way wherein you should walk. But be sure to follow where he tells you to go. Jer 42:5-6, 19-21 shows you how easy it is to say that you will follow the Lord and how hard it can be to follow him when he wants you to go a direction you don’t want to go.
To understand my error – Job 6:24 – cause me to understand wherein I have erred. It can be hard to humble yourself and admit you have erred. But if you sincerely intend to do right, then you must come to the Lord willing to be told where you are wrong. It is an error to refuse reproof [Prov 10:17]. You’re wrong to not want to understand wherein you have erred.
To behold grievance – Hab 1:3 – Habakkuk asked, “Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.” Habakkuk didn’t want to see this. It caused him grief. And neither do we want to see it. Yet, God will cause you to behold grievance so that you will know for sure that this world is not your home, that these people are not your people, that the way of transgressors is hard, that these people need a Savior, and that we must witness to them.
To escape the wicked – Ps 71:2 – David said “Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape.” Read Ps 71:1-4. Ps 71:4 says, “Deliver me out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.” In Ps 71:1, we must trust the Lord. In Ps 71:3, the Lord is our strong habitation, our rock and our fortress. We escape the hand of the wicked and the hand of unrighteous men by continually resorting to the Lord and trusting in him.
Conclusion: if you will come to God looking for him to do these specific things for you, he will cause them to happen. You will hear his voice in the words of God, you will know the way wherein you are to walk, you will understand your error so that you can correct it, you will behold grievance so that you see the need and turn from this world, and you will escape the wicked.