Growing in Faith in the PsalmsSample

Psalm 69:13: But I Pray

“But I pray to you, Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.”

Psalm 69:13 NIV

“Dial 911”, she said. I think I had only dialed 911 once in my entire life. As I hit those three numbers on my phone, I prayed for a voice to answer and help save the day. The voice on the phone said, “What is your emergency? Medical or police?” I said, “Medical.” An ambulance arrived a couple of minutes later.

Psalm 69:1 reminds me of what everyone hopes for when they dial 911, “Save me...”

David is the author of this Psalm. He is the one who has made a divine phone call to heaven. He continued to write, “…the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail…” We may not be as poetic as the Psalmist, but sadly, most of us have experienced moments and seasons that were like his. Verses one through twelve describe abuse, mistreatment, betrayal, and disrespect. His description included words like scorn, shame, feeling like a stranger, alienated, consumed, insulted, belittled, and mocked. Unfortunately, many of us know the pain of these words, and like the Psalmist, we cannot find a foothold (verse two) to move the issues forward.

In John 16:33, Jesus told us, “...In this world you will have trouble…”. David knew this reality, and we know it. Two components were present in David’s era and still exist in ours: humans and evil. Mixing the two has always produced Psalm 69/John 16 situations.

How we respond to our “Psalm 69/John 16 floods and deep waters” (verse two) determines if we can keep our head above the water line. How we respond will determine whether our faith is strengthened or our hearts become calloused and hardened. Thankfully, the Psalmist shows us how to stay afloat in the deep waters of turmoil. In verse thirteen, he says, “But I pray to you, Lord.” These are pivotal words that speak of a powerful step of action. His faith is pivoting towards the One who can intervene on his behalf. He is dialing heaven’s 911 Emergency Office. These are the words and the choice of a person who knows the Lord will not abandon him to the floods and deep waters. Despite his weariness and exhaustion, he prays. So, let us follow his example as he wrote in verse thirteen:

When the situation seems hopeless and insurmountable, I shall say, But I pray to you, Lord…

When the situation is unfair, and I am forced to do more than I should, I shall say, But I pray to you, Lord...

When others hate, mock, and belittle me, I shall say, But I pray to you, Lord...

When we have nothing left to give, say, or do to change the situation, I shall say, But I pray to you, Lord…

As David prayed, his language, perspective, and faith transitioned from a plea for survival to an assurance for the future. Friend, do not miss the transition that happened within him as he prayed. The final three verses are full of promise and faith. While the details of his situation may not have changed by the end of his writing, he had. Praying to the Lord led to a profound change in his heart and faith. Thus, he finished writing this Psalm very differently from how he began.

Let us finish by circling back to the words of Jesus as recorded in John 16:33. The entire verse states, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

In his era, David discovered the promise of what Jesus said to his disciples. When we enter the deep waters and the floods engulf us, we must pivot in those moments and say, “But I pray to you, Lord...” Jesus said, “so that in me you may have peace.” In His presence, we can obtain a peace that can profoundly change our language, perspective, and faith. In His presence, our hearts can be strengthened.

Friend, let us never view prayer and being in the presence of the Lord as the only thing left to do. It is the most powerful thing we can do. As we encounter trouble, let us stick our tired, bony finger of faith in the face of trouble, lift our voice heavenward, and say the most powerful words we can say, “But I pray to you, Lord…