"I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee."–PSALMS 41:4

This is the sinner's prayer. This is a prayer in which you never have to worry if you said the right thing. This is the prayer you can pray at any time in your life. When you can think of nothing else to say, pray this prayer, "God be merciful to me a sinner." This is a prayer we can pray until we get to Heaven. You never read of the Lord Jesus Christ rebuking anyone for praying this way. That Religious Pharisee who prayed, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are," received nothing from the Lord Jesus Christ; but the one who said, "God be merciful to me, a sinner," went down to his house justified. Most religious church goers are afraid to pray this way, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." If they were to pray this way in public, most would wonder what they had been up to, they would be asked to give up their position in the church, and perhaps even be asked to leave. If we ever come to the point where we think we have grown so good we do not need to pray this prayer, that is when we are without hope. He who does not feel his need for mercy has never received mercy. (1). Here is David's prayer - "Lord be merciful unto me." This is the prayer for the young child, the old believer, the harlot, and the thief. This is the way we can all pray. If we could ever see what we really are before the Holy God of Heaven, we would cry with the Psalmist, "LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee." (2). Here is David's confession - "I have sinned against Thee." Here was a confession without any excuse. How many times do we try to come before God confessing our sins but end our confession with a "but", and from there on start to make excuses for what we have done. As long as a person makes excuses for his sin he will be a lost person. Christ died for real sinners and real sinners will have a real Saviour. The beauty of David's confession is that he owns up to what no sinner will ever admit to until the grace of God makes him do it. The essence of sin is that it is sin against God; it is high treason against God's holy throne. (3). Here is David's plea - "I have sinned against Thee." His plea is the same as his confession. This does not sound religious does it. But the only reason he could cry for mercy is because he had sinned. If we have not sinned, we have no need for mercy. That is a strange way to plead, but it is the only one that works before the Lord God of Heaven. Here is a plea that no self-righteous person could ever use. In essence, the self-righteous person prays, "Lord be merciful to me, because I do not need any mercy." "Lord be good to me because I am good." None but the guilty value the mercy of God. If you are not a sinner, Christ as Saviour has nothing to do with you. He came into the world to save sinners. This may not be logical to our minds and hearts, but it is the logic of Calvary. If we want mercy, we must come as beggars to God. Rags are the clothes of beggars. The more you can stink, the worse you look, the better it goes for you when you beg. When you come to God confessing, paint the picture of your need just as black as you can. Do not go and clean yourself up first before you try to come to God. Do not try to make yourself look good and smell good, but go to God in those awful stinking rags, go just as you are. "I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee."