Musar su Salmi 86:78

This is what king David prayed for saying: "teach me Your way, O L-rd; I shall walk in Your truth. Unify my heart to fear Your Name"(Tehilim 86:11)

The matter of holiness is dual. Its beginning is service [of G-d] while its end is reward; its beginning is exertion while its end is a [divine] gift. That is, its beginning is that which a man sanctifies himself, while its end is his being sanctified. This is what our sages, of blessed memory, said: "if a man sanctifies himself a little, he becomes much sanctified. If he sanctifies himself below, he becomes sanctified from above" (Yomah 39a).

However, it is impossible for a man to place himself in such a state. For it is beyond his ability. He is after all a physical creature, of flesh and blood. Thus I said that the end of Holiness is a gift. For that which is in man's ability to do is the initial exertion, pursuing true knowledge and continual thought on the sanctification of deed.

Now let us discuss prayer. It is well known that Dovid HaMelech was known as the “singer of pleasant songs” and that he was a master of prayer. Therefore, as the Zohar teaches in Parashas Balak (195a), we must derive the proper order and content of our prayers from him. We find that Dovid sometimes counts himself among the “servants,” as it is written, “Look, as the eyes of servants look towards the hand of their master, etc.” (Tehillim 123:2). Sometimes among the poor, as it is written, “Hashem, incline Your ear and answer me, for I am poor and needy” (Tehillim 86:1). Sometimes among the pious, as it is written, “Of Dovid, guard my soul for I am pious” (ibid. 2). And sometimes he identifies himself with the holy ones who sacrifice their lives for the sanctification of Hashem’s name, as it is written, “Of Dovid; to You, Hashem, I lift up my soul, etc.” (Tehillim 25:1).

May G-d be our trust and keep our feet from stumbling (Prov.3:26), and may there be fulfilled in us the request of the Psalmist, beloved of his G-d, "Teach me your ways, O G-d; I shall walk in your truth: make one my heart to fear Your Name"(Ps. 86:11).