Charles Spurgeon Commentary 2 Samuel 7:18

"Then David the king went in, and sat before Jehovah; and he said, Who am I, O Lord Jehovah, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?" — 2 Samuel 7:18 (ASV)

And he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that you have brought me until now?

How often has a similar feeling leaped into our heart! Why should the Lord have dealt so well with us? "What was there in you that could merit esteem,
Or give the Creator delight?"

Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD.

David desired to build a temple for God. The prophet Nathan, believing that such a design must be acceptable to the Most High, initially told the king to proceed with it.

However, God's intention was different. Nathan then had to inform David that while it was good that this desire was in his heart, God intended the temple to be built not by him, but by his son Solomon. Nevertheless, the Lord gave David very great promises. When he received them through Nathan, David was so overcome with gratitude that he went in and "sat before the Lord."

That was his posture in prayer on this occasion. Good men have been known to pray kneeling, which seems to be the most natural attitude. Some have prayed with their faces between their knees, as Elijah did. Some have prayed standing, as the tax collector did. Some have prayed sitting, as David did. Probably, he was mingling prayer and meditation when he "sat before the Lord."

Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD,

This was not the usual Eastern posture of prayer, but David was mingling meditation with his supplication, so that his attitude was not according to ordinary rules.

And he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD?

Why, you are David, the valiant man who slew Goliath! No, no, no; the man of God is nobody in his own esteem.