Asking God for Help

Scripture Reading

Psalm 35:1-10

1 Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. 3 Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, “I am your salvation.”

4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. 5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away; 6 may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

7 Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, 8 may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin. 9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation. 10 My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

Devotional

This Psalm is a prayer for help from David. This could have been written when David was in the midst of continually running from Saul who was trying to kill him. In this scripture we see that David is pleading with God to help him, defend him, and fight back because the enemy is after his life. David is claiming his innocence and asking for God’s justice in the situation, so that God may be glorified and praised. It’s important to recognize that what David is pleading for in this situation is justice, not revenge. He’s urgently pleading for help because his back is up against the wall. He doesn’t want to repay evil with evil, he simply wants God to intervene and for his enemies to be destroyed by their own devices. You’ll also notice that in this scripture, God has not yet responded. This is scripture is all about asking for help.

Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do? Maybe someone spread lies about you and ruined your reputation under false pretense. Maybe people are trying to tear you down due to jealousy or to save their own skin because of a mistake they made. Maybe some of these enemies are even people who you once considered friends. In more serious cases, people are even imprisoned or worse because of lies and traps set by their enemies. No matter what the case may be, you can always petition God for help. You can rely on his holy nature and protection because it’s not just about defending the innocent, it’s also about showing the enemy that God is just and protects his people. And when God does come through, be sure to give credit to him and praise his name.

Lastly, it’s worth pointing out that when we cry out to God for help, it doesn’t need to be eloquent. Just be yourself with God. Tell him what’s going on, plead for his help because it’s beyond your control when you’re innocent in the situation, and pray that you’ll be able to praise him in victory in the end. The most beautiful thing in the end when you are victorious, you’ll be blessed with an awesome testimony that you can share with others. So, praising God doesn’t just stop the day your enemy is defeated, it continues to serve God’s kingdom long after. Let’s pray.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for always hearing our prayers. We praise you because you are just. We praise you because you are holy. We praise you no matter what our situation may be because we know that in the good times, it is because of your blessings. In the times where we’re being attacked, we can praise you because we know you are a righteous God who protects his people. No one can stand against you. Thank you for protecting us from battles seen and unseen and coming to our side in our time of need for your name’s sake. In Jesus’ name, Amen.