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Why do we pray, "Lord, have mercy" in almost of all of our prayers, liturgies, praises?

Can you imagine what would happen if God's mercy disappeared for a fraction of a second! With the Psalms of our father David the prophet and king, we ask for God's astounding mercy. When David the prophet was confronted with his great sin, he realized that all that he had left was God's mercy. Although he was still king and thought that his sins were concealed; he could not bear to lose his relationship with God. We too, recognize that our sins are enormous and we are guilty of so many trespasses, "willingly and unwillingly, knowingly and unknowingly, the hidden and the manifest." We do not therefore deserve to ask for anything. But because we trust in God's loving-kindness, we dare to ask for many blessings. We are then compelled to shout and say, "According to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to our sins." Each one of us is like a defendant that throws himself at the mercy of the court, when he finally confesses his crimes and cannot find any justification on which to even attempt to plea his case.
 
"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions...For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight…That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge...Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow...Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities...The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart…these, O God, you will not despise..." (Psalm 50).