A Prayer for God's Continued Mercy

861 Incline thine ear, Jehovah, answer me; for I am afflicted and needy. 2 Keep my soul, for I am godly; O thou my God, save thy servant who confideth in thee. 3 Be gracious unto me, O Lord; for unto thee do I call all the day. 4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant; for unto thee, Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and art of great loving-kindness unto all that call upon thee. 6 Give ear, O Jehovah, unto my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications. 7 In the day of my distress I will call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me.

8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, Lord, and there is nothing like unto thy works. 9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name. 10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God, thou alone.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 86:1-10

Commentary on Psalm 86:1-7

(Read Psalm 86:1-7)

Our poverty and wretchedness, when felt, powerfully plead in our behalf at the throne of grace. The best self-preservation is to commit ourselves to God's keeping. I am one whom thou favourest, hast set apart for thyself, and made partaker of sanctifying grace. It is a great encouragement to prayer, to feel that we have received the converting grace of God, have learned to trust in him, and to be his servants. We may expect comfort from God, when we keep up our communion with God. God's goodness appears in two things, in giving and forgiving. Whatever others do, let us call upon God, and commit our case to him; we shall not seek in vain.

Commentary on Psalm 86:8-17

(Read Psalm 86:8-17)

Our God alone possesses almighty power and infinite love. Christ is the way and the truth. And the believing soul will be more desirous to be taught the way and the truth. And the believing soul will be more desirous to be taught the way and the truth of God, in order to walk therein, than to be delivered out of earthly distress. Those who set not the Lord before them, seek after believers' souls; but the compassion, mercy, and truth of God, will be their refuge and consolation. And those whose parents were the servants of the Lord, may urge this as a plea why he should hear and help them. In considering David's experience, and that of the believer, we must not lose sight of Him, who though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.