Calling Upon Our Lord

Psalm 86:1-10

A prayer of David.

1Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer;

answer me, for I need your help.

2Protect me, for I am devoted to you.

Save me, for I serve you and trust you.

You are my God.

3Be merciful, O Lord,

for I am calling on you constantly.

4Give me happiness, O Lord,

for my life depends on you.

5O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,

so full of unfailing love for all who ask your aid.

6Listen closely to my prayer, O LORD;

hear my urgent cry.

7I will call to you whenever trouble strikes,

and you will answer me.

8Nowhere among the pagan gods is there a god like you, O Lord.

There are no other miracles like yours.

9All the nations—and you made each one—

will come and bow before you, Lord;

they will praise your great and holy name.

10For you are great and perform great miracles.

You alone are God.

In most versions of the Bible, the word Lord appears sometimes in small capital letters (LORD). Pay attention to this because it tells you something about the original Hebrew.

Whenever you see the word LORD, it refers to God’s personal name (YHWH), which some think was originally pronounced “Yahweh.” This name became so holy to devout Jews that they refused to speak it. When they came across it in a Scripture reading, they would replace it with the word Adonai, which is usually written as “Lord” in English. This Hebrew word means “Master” or “Lord.”

Here in Psalm 86 we see two instances (verses 1 and 6) of God’s personal name, “LORD,” but seven other times in this psalm we see the name “Lord,” or Adonai. By doing this, David is not simply being repetitive, like some Christians who say the word Lord in their prayers over and over. Instead, David is most likely addressing God as a servant addresses his master. “Yes, Master, I will do what you say. Be merciful to me, Master.” David takes a humble stance, not declaring his own innocence, demanding God’s help, or arguing why God should trounce his enemies (as David does elsewhere).

Let us learn from David’s prayer in this psalm and come before God as a servant comes before his master.

O use me, Lord, use even me,

Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where;

Until Thy blessed face I see,

Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

FRANCES R. HAVERGAL

Fascinating Fact

This psalm is a mosaic of fragments from about twenty other psalms. There are also thoughts from Exodus, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, and Jeremiah.

Notable Quotable

“You have fallen a hundred times and are ashamed to come to God again; it seems too much to expect that He will receive you again. But He will, for He is ready to forgive.”

F. B. MEYER