Psalm 71

1  In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
  let me never be put to shame.
2  In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
  incline your ear to me and save me.
3  Be to me a rock of refuge,
  a strong fortress, to save me,
  for you are my rock and my fortress.
4  Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
  from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5  For you, O Lord, are my hope,
  my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6  Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
  it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
 My praise is continually of you.
7  I have been like a portent to many,
  but you are my strong refuge.
8  My mouth is filled with your praise,
  and with your glory all day long.
9  Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
  do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10  For my enemies speak concerning me,
  and those who watch for my life consult together.
11  They say, “Pursue and seize that person
  whom God has forsaken,
  for there is no one to deliver.”
12  O God, do not be far from me;
  O my God, make haste to help me!
13  Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
  let those who seek to hurt me
  be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14  But I will hope continually,
  and will praise you yet more and more.
15  My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
  of your deeds of salvation all day long,
  though their number is past my knowledge.
16  I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD,
  I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17  O God, from my youth you have taught me,
  and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18  So even to old age and gray hairs,
  O God, do not forsake me,
 until I proclaim your might
  to all the generations to come.
 Your power 19 and your righteousness, O God,
  reach the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
  O God, who is like you?
20  You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
  will revive me again;
 from the depths of the earth
  you will bring me up again.
21  You will increase my honor,
  and comfort me once again.
22  I will also praise you with the harp
  for your faithfulness, O my God;
 I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
  O Holy One of Israel.
23  My lips will shout for joy
  when I sing praises to you;
  my soul also, which you have rescued.
24  All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help,
 for those who tried to do me harm
  have been put to shame, and disgraced.

www.istockphoto.com/Rebecca Ellis

Daily Prayer (based on Psalm 71:2)

"Incline your ear to me!"

O God, if You don't stoop down to hear me, I shall not be heard. If You don't descend to my level, I'll never arise to Yours. In all of my pretense of maturity, my prayers are still like baby talk – understandable and precious only to a loving parent. You are such a Parent to me. You want to hear me. You desire to save me. You are willing to bend down to reach me. Your Spirit helps me to pray, even praying on my behalf when I run out of words. What an amazing God You are!

Postscript

The idea of God's bending down to hear us is a powerful one. Often we think of prayer as shouting up to God in heaven. But, in reality, He stoops to hear us like a parent with a child. The picture to the left makes me think of God's loving condescension.

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Except for the Scripture text, all material of The Daily Psalm Copyright © 2006 by Mark D. Roberts

Note: You may download the contents of The Daily Psalm at no cost, for personal use or for use in a Christian ministry, as long as you are not publishing them for sale. All I ask is that you give credit where credit is due. For all other uses, please contact me at mark@markdroberts.com. Thank you.

The Scripture text used in The Daily Psalm is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved