Dr. Donald Whitney, one of my professors at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, was lecturing on giving God reasons for our prayers. He pointed out how Psalm 79:9 is a model of the majority of our prayers. "Help us" is usually the phrase we use most in our prayers. It is expressing our need for God because of our human limitations and God's limitless and sovereignty. "Deliver us and forgive our sins" expresses our need for a great Savior because of our great wickedness. It is a call for repentance, your desire for sin to your desire for righteousness. However, there are two phrases that follow each one of these common prayers of ours. The psalmist gives reasons why God should do both of those request. First, he says, "Help us FOR THE GLORY OF YOUR NAME." Do we make this our prayer? Do we even give God a reason to answer our cry for help? The psalmist makes it a point to say, "God I need your help, but not only for my good, but more importantly your glory." Our prayers should give reason for God to answer them. Our concern for God answering our prayers should be more for His glory as opposed to our good. It is too often our prayers are motivated by our selfish gain. "Lord, help me get this job so I can have money to buy all of the things (I really don't need)." Instead we should pray, "God, help me get this job so I may be a light to those whom I work with that are dying without you." I must pause here and make sure we understand what God's glory is. God's glory is his inexhaustible love, righteousness, beauty, holiness, power, kindness, graciousness. It is who God is. We were created for His glory and are called to show His glory to the nations. The second part of Psalm 79:9 says, "...deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake." Why does the psalmist ask for God's deliverance and forgiveness? It is for the name sake of God. We want others to see our God is a forgiving and loving God. We call upon God's promise of 1 John 1:9 that "if we confess our sin" the He is "faithful and just to forgive us of ALL unrighteousness." Then we promise our future obedience, which is why John says he wrote the book of 1 John (1 John 2:1). Are you giving God biblical reasons why He should answer your prayers? You should. It is biblical.

To God Be the Glory (1875)

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.


Check out Dr. Whitney's website at:
Biblical Spirituality
There are many helpful articles, as well as much more.