"A Prayer of David.
Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name for ever.
13 For great is your steadfast love towards me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant,
and save the son of your maidservant.
17 Show me a sign of your favour,
that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me."
Psalm 86
In the first stanza two things are to be noted: the Psalmist's petitions, and the pleas on which they are raised. The petitions are in sequence: 'bow down...' (1);
'preserve...' (2); 'be merciful...' (3); 'rejoice the soul...' (4). The first of these reminds us of Malachi 3:16, 'The Lord hearkened and heard...' - that is, He pricked up his ears at the sound of their speaking, and bent down so as not to miss a single word of all they were saying, so precious it was to Him. This is the idea behind the petition, and it is a wonderfully comforting one, that in time of need there should be such a God at hand to help us. With the other petitions in 2 or 3, it becomes understandable that the Psalmist should ask God to 'gladden' his soul, for if such petitions were heard, that would be the inevitable result. The pleas in these verses - and there are five in all - are each introduced by 'For'. It is perhaps not without significance that in the first three the emphasis is upon the Psalmist himself, whereas in the other two he passes from the consciousness of his own need to God and His grace and power. It is when his mind is fixed on the character of God that he really gets on to praying ground. In the last analysis, and greater than any need in our hearts, we can plead what He is in Himself, and all that lies in the name of the Lord.