Psalm 86

“Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy” (v1).  David, warrior and king, prayed with the self-understanding that he was truly “poor and needy.”  He unashamedly called on God for all kinds of help: “to You I cry all the day” (v3).  With God, David did not have to be a strong leader with all the answers; instead, in times of trouble or fear, he could lift up his soul to the One who always answers (v4, 7).

“For great is your steadfast love toward me” (v13).   Like the psalmist, in God’s presence we can admit our weaknesses and receive the Father’s strength and love.