Powerful Prayer for Help–Psalm 13
“How long, Lord? Will You utterly forget me?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long must I carry sorrow in my soul,
grief in my heart day after day?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look upon me, answer me, Lord, my God!
Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death,
Lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed,’
lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.
But I trust in Your mercy.
Grant my heart joy in Your salvation,
I will sing to the Lord,
for He has dealt bountifully with me!”
Powerful Prayer for Help — Psalm 13
King David was burdened by sorrow. He sought refuge before God for deliverance from his seemingly unending trials and tribulations. His greatest suffering though was the apparent absence of God. The feeling like God had left Him. Have you ever felt like that? Like you have been forgotten by God? Maybe you do now. If so, you are not alone in your feelings. The psalmist David pleaded, “How long, Lord, will You utterly forget me?”
The Psalm also references “enemies” suggesting that some must have wished evil on the psalmist as well, and he needed God’s rebuke of them. Does that also sound familiar?
In the pit of despair, what did the Psalmist do? He consoled himself by remembering who God is — His faithfulness — and reminding himself of his salvation, for which he praised God. This heartfelt prayer passes on a statement to all of us of unwavering trust, (which reinforces the prayer’s power), and a vow of gratitude for when deliverance comes–which it did–because when God is involved, victory always comes!
Psalm 13’s Prayer for Help bears witness to the incredible value of perseverance in prayer and gratitude. If there is something you are praying for today, do not give up. Do as King David did and lean into God. Trust Him for your deliverance and praise Him for what’s coming.
