Studies on Prayer: Vol. 3Sample

Praying for Help

David was ten to fifteen years old when Samuel anointed him to be the king of Israel. It would take another fifteen years before David would assume his position of power. During those fifteen years, David was hunted, taunted, and harassed by King Saul, who refused to relinquish his position as the king. David ruled for more than forty years, dying around the age of seventy. His reign as king of Israel was marked with both success and failure. Additionally, he spent much of his reign in conflict with surrounding nations who wanted to gain control of the Promised Land and its riches. Psalm 31 is difficult to date, but David wrote the psalm during a tense time of attack. The attacks were personal as well as physical, and David prayed to God for the help he needed.

1. In Psalm 31:3, what is David’s motivation to pray for help? How is this an important lesson for our own prayer lives?

2. In Psalm 31:6–8, what should we hate and where should we find our joy? Why is that perspective essential when we pray for help?

3. What is our comfort and peace when we experience troubled times? (Psalm 31: 14–16)

4. Why should we, like David, pray for and trust in God’s help? (Psalm 31:19–22)

“The right way to pray is to stretch out our hands and ask of One who we know has the heart of a father.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer