The psalm is attributed to David. It is believed he wrote it in a time of trouble that depicted his trust in God as he sought to walk in His ways and seek His protection. He also pleaded with God to forgive his sins, to assert an unwavering faith in God as not to be shaken by the circumstances outside of him or the guilt within him.

In verses 1-5, he was committed to waiting on God to deliver him from his enemies, asking Him to teach him to respond correctly. He did not want to shame the Lord or be shamed by his enemies because of wrong responses. In verses 6-10, he pleaded with God to remember his mercy and love, not his sins. He sought God to instruct him as He instructed the humble not to walk in their sinful ways. As He declared that God’s ways are good and faithful to those who keep His covenant with them.

In verses 11-16, he pleaded with God to teach and forgive him, as his guilt was great. He promised to walk with the Lord as he is lonely and afflicted, as one of those who feared Him. In verses 17-22, he pleaded with God to deliver him because the burden and sadness he had were great. He asked God to see his sufferings and forgive his sins, as He awaits God to restore him and redeem His people from the troubles they were facing.

I am sure we can identify with David’s struggles when faced doubts, sins, and troubles. They can hinder us from praying to God as they make us wonder if we are worthy of God’s care and love. Yet, we must not let our feelings and circumstances hinder us from praying to Him. As human beings, we have a “Defence System” within. In times of trouble, this system kicks in, and we will either “Fight, Flight, or Freeze” in our fears and do nothing.

But as Christians, we do not have to respond in these ways. Fighting only causes us to lose our witness. Fleeing reveals our lack of faith in God. Freezing reveals that fear has controlled us. Instead, we must be controlled by faith rather than fear and continue to pray. It is not a natural response, as we often respond in these three ways. But even if we are frozen by fear, we can still pray in our hearts and minds. Like David, we can ask God to lead us and wait for Him to deliver us. We must not lose our witness or faith, but we must continue to pray.

The reason we can’t pray is that we do not have David’s knowledge of God or experiences with God. We have not trusted God but ourselves. The more we experience God's faithfulness, the more we will know that we can trust Him. Let us start walking by faith, and not by sight. The challenge to our prayer life is to trust God by faith when we are challenged in our lives. David faced the challenge of death, for Saul had wanted to kill him. But he continued to trust God in his fear, and prayed despite feeling unworthy because of his sin.

If you are feeling unworthy or fearful, continue to pray. The prayer of David teaches us not to feel that way, but to continue to ask God to teach us His way. God may or may not answer our prayers right away, but He hears our prayers.

Prayer:

Lord, I pray that I would not fight, flee, or freeze. Instead, pray that He would teach me His ways, and guide me in His way, as I trust Him in the times of my afflictions.