YOU ARE MY GOD

Passage: Psalms 86:1-17

Key verse: 15

NIV

Psalm 86
A prayer of David.

1 Hear me, Lord, and answer(A) me,
    for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
    save your servant who trusts in you.(B)
You are my God; 3 have mercy(C) on me, Lord,
    for I call(D) to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
    for I put my trust(E) in you.

5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
    abounding in love(F) to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord;
    listen to my cry(G) for mercy.
7 When I am in distress,(H) I call(I) to you,
    because you answer(J) me.

8 Among the gods(K) there is none like you,(L) Lord;
    no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
    will come(M) and worship(N) before you, Lord;
    they will bring glory(O) to your name.
10 For you are great(P) and do marvelous deeds;(Q)
    you alone(R) are God.

11 Teach me your way,(S) Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;(T)
give me an undivided(U) heart,
    that I may fear(V) your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;(W)
    I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me(X) from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.(Y)

14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
    ruthless people are trying to kill me—
    they have no regard for you.(Z)
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious(AA) God,
    slow to anger,(AB) abounding(AC) in love and faithfulness.(AD)
16 Turn to me(AE) and have mercy(AF) on me;
    show your strength(AG) in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
    just as my mother did.(AH)
17 Give me a sign(AI) of your goodness,
    that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
    for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

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ESV

Great Is Your Steadfast Love

(A)A Prayer of David.

86 (B)Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
    for I am (C)poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am (D)godly;
    save your servant, who (E)trusts in you—you are my God.
3 (F)Be gracious to me, O Lord,
    for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
    for (G)to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and (H)forgiving,
    (I)abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 (J)Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
    listen to my plea for grace.
7 In (K)the day of my trouble I call upon you,
    (L)for you answer me.

8 There is (M)none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    (N)nor are there any works like yours.
9 (O)All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
10 For (P)you are great and (Q)do wondrous things;
    (R)you alone are God.
11 (S)Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may (T)walk in your truth;
    (U)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 forever.
13 (V)For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have (W)delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

14 O God, insolent men have (X)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 (Y)merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 (Z)Turn to me and be gracious to me;
    give your strength to (AA)your servant,
    and save (AB)the son of your maidservant.
17 (AC)Show me a sign of your (AD)favor,
    that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
    because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

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In this prayer, David pours out his heart to God, intermingling praise, expressions of spiritual desire, and pleas for help. David can do this because he knows God as his personal God who cares for him, and he has a clear identity as God’s servant (2, 16). Though his emotions are like a storm inside him, he keeps returning to God as his anchor. He knows God is forgiving, good, and abounding in love (3). He asks to be made more like God, with an undivided heart (11). This prayer is an example of how we can come to God as we are even when we feel very weak and unstable.

When we are troubled, we should remember all of God’s good attributes revealed in his word: his powerful saving love toward us in Jesus (13), his compassion and grace, and his faithfulness (15). Then we can praise God unconditionally for who he is, gaining a higher point of view over our problems. Relying on God’s character, we can have courage to ask God directly to grant us mercy (16) and display his goodness visibly (17).

Prayer: Father, you are my God and I know all of your goodness in Jesus. Help me make it through times of crisis by remembering your goodness and bringing you all my requests.

One Word: Great is God’s love toward me