1 Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 Tremble and do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.
6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of your face shine on us.
7 Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
We don’t know what the story is behind this Psalm.
Question 1
If you could summarise this psalm in a sentence or two, what would you say?
Question 2
What is repeated in v1 and v3 and what does this tell us about our prayers?
The word ‘hear’ is repeated in these verses. Verse one is a plea for God to hear David’s prayers but David knows that the Lord will hear him. We can have the assurance that God hears and answers our prayers. The Bible tells us again and again that God hears our prayers and answers us. We face so many struggles, many temptations, so many decisions in life – we need help; we need God to answer. Maybe it’s a good time to pause and ask God to help us to be this serious about prayer. It’s really good to pray with other people and together cry out to God.
Question 3
Do you know that God hears and answers your prayers? If you do, how does it change what you pray for?
Question 4
David knows that God will give him relief (v2), and keep him safe (v8). How can David’s personal experience in v8 help us when we face scary times?
Pray: Thank you, Lord, that you hear my prayers.
