A prayer of David
86:Title In this third division of the Psalms this is the only one ascribed to David. It is called a prayer, and in it he not only gives his personal prayer but shows us the grounds on which we may expect to get answers to our prayers. Let us observe them very carefully. They will help us in our praying.⚜
86
📚Bow down your ear,O LORD, hear me;
for I am poor and needy.
86:1 The first reason David gives that God should answer his prayer is his deep need and the fact that he prays to the LORD (Jehovah), the true and only God, the God who had made a covenant with Israel and whose nature is compassionate and merciful (v 15; Ex 34:6-7).⚜
2 📚Preserve my soul,
for I am godly.
O my God, save your servant
who trusts in you.
86:2 Another reason why God should answer his prayer is the relationship he has with God. God is his God, the One he trusts and loves. He is God’s worshiper, God’s servant. The prayer of the wicked is an abomination, and God does not hear sinners – Ps 66:18; Prov 15:29; 28:9; Isa 1:15; John 9:31. But God hears His servants who walk righteously and try to keep His Word.
Another good reason why God should hear him is that he trusts in God. If we trust in ourselves, or in false gods or idols we have no ground for expecting God to answer us. But when our trust is in Him alone He will give us all we need (Ps 37:5; Mark 11:24; Heb 11:6, 32-34).⚜
3 📚Be merciful to me, O Lord,
for I cry out to you daily.
86:3 A further reason why God should hear him – he does not faint and give up but continues in faith and expectation. Jesus taught how important persistence is in prayer – Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-8.⚜
4 📚Cause the soul of your servant
to rejoice, for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
86:4 David gives a further reason why God should answer him. He seeks help in God alone and not from some other source.⚜
5 📚For you, Lord, are good,
and ready to forgive,
and abundant in mercy
to all those who
call on you.
86:5 The last ground for believing prayer is the character of God. David does not claim perfection for himself. He knows there are things in his life that will require forgiveness. But God is always ready to forgive (Ps 103:3; 130:4; 1 John 1:9). He shows great love to all who call on Him – will He not also to us? See Rom 10:12.⚜
6 📚Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer,
and be attentive to the voice of my
supplications.
7 📚In the day of my trouble
I will call on you,
for you will answer me.
86:6-7 The reasons David has given that God will answer him are good and sufficient, so his faith is firm and he is sure God will hear his prayer. We too should learn to pray with the same confidence.⚜
8 📚Among the gods there is
no one like you,
O Lord,
nor are there any works
like yours.
9 📚All nations whom
you have made will come
and worship before you,
O Lord, and will glorify your name.
10 📚For you are great
and do wonderful things.
You alone are God.
86:8-10 If the God to whom we pray is to answer our prayers two things are required – He must be willing to answer, and He must be able to answer. David has shown God’s willingness in the preceding verses. Now he speaks of God’s ability, and contrasts it with the inability of all others that are called gods. See how He speaks of God’s power – He has made all nations. Therefore He can answer people when they call. David speaks as a prophet when he says all nations will come to God (compare Micah 4:1-2; Zech 14:16; Rev 7:9; 21:24-26). For the time will come when the world will realize that the God of the Bible is the great Creator, the only God there is.⚜
11 📚Teach 📖 me your way, O LORD.
I will walk in your truth.
Unite my heart to fear 📖 your name.
12 📚I will praise you,
O Lord my God, with all my heart,
and I will glorify your name
forevermore.
86:12 The only proper response to answered prayer is this.⚜
13 📚For great is your mercy
toward me,
and you have delivered my soul
from the depths of hell 📖.
14 📚O God, the proud have risen up
against me,
and a mob of violent men have
sought my life,
and have not set you
before them.
86:14 This was the cause of his sad condition described in v 1. David may be referring either to his persecution by King Saul, or the time of Absalom’s rebellion.⚜
15 📚But you, O Lord, are a
God full of compassion,
and gracious,
slow to get angry, and abundant
in mercy and truth.
16 📚Oh, turn to me, and have mercy
on me.
Give your strength to your servant,
and save the son of your maid
servant.
17 📚Show me a sign for good,
so that those who hate me
may see it and be ashamed;
because you, LORD,
have helped me,
and comforted me.
86:11-17 David knew both God’s willingness and ability to answer prayer. Knowing that God will answer him, he now continues his requests.⚜
86:17 He wants manifest proof of God’s blessing and help that others can see so they will stop their persecution.⚜