“In return for my love they accuse me,
    but I give myself to prayer” (Psalms 109:4, English Standard Version).

King David wrote almost half of the psalms in the Bible. Some describe events recorded elsewhere in the Bible, expressing his response to these situations. Often, the verses bounce between his hardships, his petitions to God, and his trust that the Lord will make everything work out in the end. He brought all of his crises to God in prayer, because he knew God was faithful and would meet his needs.

Psalms 109:4 in the ESV says, “I give myself to prayer,” but the Hebrew suggests something more intimate and personal about David’s relationship with God. A footnote in the ESV indicates that the Hebrew literally says, “I am prayer.” Several other translations confirm this meaning: The New American Standard Bible (perhaps the most literal English translation) says, “But I am in prayer,” but the italics indicate that the translators added the preposition to help the sentence make sense. Likewise (again, with italics to indicate words added by the translators), the New King James Version says, “But I give myself to prayer.” The New International Version may express the meaning most accurately: “but I am a man of prayer.”

Prayer was not something David just did from time to time. It was not just an activity. It was part of his character. He tells us that he does not merely pray; he did not just decide to pray at this moment because the problem was big enough. He was calling out to God because prayer was part of his identity.

Is prayer part of your identity? When bad things happen, do you worry, complain, lash out, or pray? Do you make “spending time with God” part of your daily routine? Do you crave time with Him like you are hungry for your daily bread or thirsty for water or coffee? Even after your morning devotions have ended, does life call your heart and mind back to communicating with God?

Many Christians pray the Psalms as part of their daily devotions. By doing so, they pray Holy Spirit-inspired words back to God. The Psalms teach us how to pray.

As I read this verse recently, I was reminded of the Keith Green song, “Make My Life a Prayer.” That is my desire: That God would make my life a prayer to Him; that prayer would be a part of my identity. May the Holy Spirit ignite that desire in your heart as well.

The closing prayer below is inspired by the words of Keith Green’s song; you can listen to it here:

Lord, make my life a prayer to You. I want to do what You want me to; no empty words and no white lies; no token prayers, no compromise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What role does prayer play in your life? How can it play a greater role? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.

Copyright © 2025 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.