The psalmists' cries for help from God
Psalms 6 TPT A song for the end, sung for the new day by King David.
No, Lord! Don’t condemn me. Don’t punish me in your fiery anger. Please deal gently with me, Yahweh; show me mercy, for I’m sick and frail. I’m fading away with weakness. Heal me, for I’m falling apart. How long until you take away this pain in my body and in my soul? Lord, I’m trembling in fear! Yahweh, return to me and deliver my life because I know your faithful love is toward me. How can I be any good to you dead? For graveyards sing no songs. In the darkness of death who remembers you? How could I bring you praise if I’m buried in a tomb? I’m exhausted and worn out with my weeping. I endure weary, sleepless nights filled with moaning, soaking my pillow with my tears. My eyes of faith won’t focus anymore, for sorrow fills my heart. There are so many enemies who come against me! Go away! Leave me, all you troublemakers! For the Lord has turned to listen to my thunderous cry. Yes! Yahweh my healer has heard all my pleading and has taken hold of my prayers and answered them all. Now it’s my enemies who have been shamed. Terror-stricken, they will turn back again, knowing the bitterness of sudden disgrace!
How Long, O Lord?
Psalms 13 TPT For the Pure and Shining One, by King David.
I’m hurting, Lord—will you forget me forever? How much longer, Lord? Will you look the other way when I’m in need? How much longer must I cling to this constant grief? I’ve endured this shaking of my soul. So how much longer will my enemy have the upper hand? It’s been long enough! Take a good look at me, God, and answer me! Breathe your life into my spirit. Bring light to my eyes in this pitch-black darkness or I will sleep the sleep of death. Don’t let my enemy proclaim, “I’ve prevailed over him.” For all my adversaries will celebrate when I fall. Lord, I have always trusted in your kindness, so answer me. I will yet celebrate with passion and joy when your salvation lifts me up. I will sing my song of joy to you, the Most High, for in all of this you have strengthened my soul. My enemies say that I have no Savior, but I know that I have one in you!
Psalms 18:3-20 TPT All I need to do is to call to you, singing to you, the praiseworthy God. When I do, I’m safe and sound in you. For when the ropes of death wrapped around me and terrifying torrents of destruction overwhelmed me, taking me to death’s door, to doom’s domain, I cried out to you in my distress, the delivering God, and from your temple-throne you heard my troubled cry. My sobs came right into your heart and you turned your face to rescue me.
The earth itself shivered and shook. It reeled and rocked before him. As the mountains trembled, they melted away! For his anger was kindled, burning on my behalf. Fierce flames leapt from his mouth, erupting with blazing, burning coals as smoke and fire encircled him. He stretched heaven’s curtain open and came to my defense. Swiftly he rode to earth as the stormy sky was lowered. He rode a chariot of thunderclouds amidst thick darkness, a cherub his steed as he swooped down, soaring on the wings of Spirit-wind. Wrapped and hidden in the thick-cloud darkness, his thunder-tabernacle surrounded him. He hid himself in mystery-darkness; the dense rain clouds were his garments. Suddenly the brilliance of his presence broke through with lightning bolts and with a mighty storm from heaven—like a tempest dropping coals of fire. The Lord thundered, the great God above every god spoke with his thunder-voice from the skies. What fearsome hailstones and flashes of fire were before him! He released his lightning-arrows, and routed my foes. See how they ran and scattered in fear! Then with his mighty roar he laid bare the foundations of the earth, uncovering the secret source of the sea. The hidden depths of land and sea were exposed by the hurricane-blast of his hot breath. He then reached down from heaven, all the way from the sky to the sea. He reached down into my darkness to rescue me! He took me out of my calamity and chaos and drew me to himself, taking me from the depths of my despair! Even though I was helpless in the hands of my hateful, strong enemy, you were good to deliver me. When I was at my weakest, my enemies attacked—but the Lord held on to me. His love broke open the way and he brought me into a beautiful broad place. He rescued me—because his delight is in me! He rewarded me for doing what’s right and staying pure.
Psalms 22:1-24 TPT For the Pure and Shining One. King David’s song of anguish. To the tune of “The Deer at the Dawning of the Day”.
God, my God! Why would you abandon me now? Why do you remain distant, refusing to answer my tearful cries in the day and my desperate cries for your help in the night? I can’t stop sobbing. Where are you, my God? Yet I know that you are most holy; it’s indisputable. You are God-Enthroned, surrounded with songs, living among the shouts of praise of your princely people. Our fathers’ faith was in you—through the generations they trusted and believed in you and you came through. Every time they cried out to you in their despair, you were faithful to deliver them; you didn’t disappoint them.
But look at me now; I am like a woeful worm, crushed, and I’m bleeding crimson. I don’t even look like a man anymore. I’ve been abused, despised, and scorned by everyone! Mocked by their jeers, despised with their sneers, as all the people poke fun at me, spitting their insults, saying, “Is this the one who trusted in God? Is this the one who claims God is pleased with him? Now let’s see if your God will come to your rescue! We’ll just see how much he delights in you!” Lord, you delivered me safely from my mother’s womb. You are the one who cared for me ever since I was a baby. Since the day I was born, I’ve been placed in your custody. You’ve cradled me throughout my days. I’ve trusted in you and you’ve always been my God.
So don’t leave me now; stay close to me! For trouble is all around me and there’s no one else to help me. I’m surrounded by many violent foes; mighty forces of evil are swirling around me who want to break me to bits and destroy me. Curses pour from their mouths! They’re like ravenous, roaring lions tearing their prey. Now I’m completely exhausted; I’m spent. Every joint of my body has been pulled apart. My courage has vanished and my inward parts have melted away. I’m so thirsty and parched—dry as a bone. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. And now you’ve left me in the dust for dead. They have pierced my hands and my feet. Like a pack of wild dogs they tear at me, swirling around me with their hatred. They gather around me like lions to pin my hands and feet. All my bones stick out. Look at how they all gloat over me and stare! With a toss of the dice they divide my clothes among themselves, gambling for my garments! Lord, my God, please don’t stay far away. For you are my only might and strength. Won’t you come quickly to my rescue? Give me back my life. Save me from this violent death. Save my precious one and only from the power of these demons! Save me from all the power of the enemy, from this roaring lion raging against me and the power of his dark horde. I will praise your name before all my brothers; as my people gather I will praise you in their midst. Lovers of Yahweh, praise him! Let all the true seed of Jacob glorify him with your praises. Stand in awe of him, all you princely people, the offspring of Israel! For he has not despised my cries of deep despair. He’s my first responder to my sufferings, and he didn’t look the other way when I was in pain. He was there all the time, listening to the song of the afflicted.
Psalms 27 TPT David’s poetic praise to God before he was anointed king.
The Lord is my revelation-light to guide me along the way; he’s the source of my salvation to defend me every day. I fear no one! I’ll never turn back and run from you, Lord; surround and protect me. When evil ones come to destroy me, they will be the ones who turn back. My heart will not be afraid even if an army rises to attack. I know that you are there for me, so I will not be shaken. Here’s the one thing I crave from God, the one thing I seek above all else: I want the privilege of living with him every moment in his house, finding the sweet loveliness of his face, filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace. I want to live my life so close to him that he takes pleasure in my every prayer. In his shelter in the day of trouble, that’s where you’ll find me, for he hides me there in his holiness. He has smuggled me into his secret place, where I’m kept safe and secure—out of reach from all my enemies. Triumphant now, I’ll bring him my offerings of praise, singing and shouting with ecstatic joy! Yes, listen and you can hear the fanfare of my shouts of praise to the Lord! God, hear my cry. Show me your grace. Show me mercy, and send the help I need! Lord, when you said to me, “Seek my face,” my inner being responded, “I’m seeking your face with all my heart.” So don’t hide yourself, Lord, when I come to find you. You’re the God of my salvation; how can you reject your servant in anger? You’ve been my only hope, so don’t forsake me now when I need you! My father and mother abandoned me. I’m like an orphan! But you took me in and made me yours. Now teach me all about your ways and tell me what to do. Make it clear for me to understand, for I am surrounded by waiting enemies. Don’t let them defeat me, Lord. You can’t let me fall into their clutches! They keep accusing me of things I’ve never done while they plot evil against me. Yet I totally trust you to rescue me one more time, so that I can see once again how good you are while I’m still alive! Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!