Help Me, God!
Opening Prayer
Thank God now that he always listens to your prayers and is gracious and loving in his answers.
Read PSALM 141:1-10
[1] A psalm of David. O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. [2] May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. [3] Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. [4] Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies. [5] Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness; let him rebuke me-it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers; [6] their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken. [7] They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.” [8] But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge-do not give me over to death. [9] Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers. [10] Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What do you think is the danger David faces here?Some requests are really urgent and many of our prayers are no exception. You may not have time to kneel and formulate a finely worded, poetic prayer, but it does help if you know the God you are praying to. Many people think this psalm is the prayer of a king away in battle; he is suffering losses (7), so it is really important that he prays, even if he cannot make the proper sacrifices (2). Instead he gets straight down to business with a prayer that is urgent and right to the point (1).
We all sometimes need to use that shortest of all prayers: “Help, Lord!” There is nothing wrong with that; in fact, it would be strange if we did not call on God in desperate situations. But just as it is been easier to deal with people we know, so it is important for us to build up our relationship with God before we get to the point of desperation! David is able to pray this prayer confidently because he is not talking to a stranger but to the God he speaks to day by day. So he can also be confident that God hears and cares.
Apply
Talk to God about what’s going on in your life. Offer any urgent prayers now. Thank God that he hears and cares.
Closing prayer
Lord God, I’m very thankful that You hear my prayers so readily. Help me to grow even closer to You each day.
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