Mercy That Listens
Psalm 86:1–13
Mercy That Listens
Psalm 86:1–13
Intersections | Thursday, June 19, 2025
Preparing for Week 2 of “The Gospel According to The Servants”
When Everything Hurts
Before there is praise, there is pleading.
Psalm 86 isn’t the kind of prayer we frame or stitch on a wall.
It’s raw, cracked open, desperate.
The psalmist doesn’t begin with thanksgiving or adoration but with a cry:
“Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer.”
It’s a psalm for when you’re not sure you can make it.
When all you have is the audacity to believe God is still merciful,,
Even when everything hurts.
Context: Setting the Scene
Literary Context
Psalm 86 is a rare moment in the Psalter, it’s labeled a “prayer of David,” and is the only one explicitly called that. It weaves together language from other psalms and Torah passages, creating a tapestry of trust. But that trust is forged in hardship. This is the cry of someone surrounded by trouble and enemies, someone clinging to hope by the thinnest of threads.
Theological Context
The psalm centers on who God is: merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. These traits echo the self-revelation of God in Exodus 34 and are frequently cited throughout Israel’s history. In this psalm, God’s character is not a distant idea but a desperate plea for intervention. The writer begs for a sign of God’s goodness, not just for comfort, but for survival.
Psalm 86:1–13 (NLT)
1 Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;
answer me, for I need your help.
2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you.
Save me, for I serve you and trust you.
You are my God.
3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,
for I am calling on you constantly.
4 Give me happiness, O Lord,
for I give myself to you.
5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
6 Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;
hear my urgent cry.
7 I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,
and you will answer me.
8 No pagan god is like you, O Lord.
None can do what you do!
9 All the nations you made
will come and bow before you, Lord;
they will praise your holy name.
10 For you are great and perform wonderful deeds.
You alone are God.
11 Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.
12 With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
I will give glory to your name forever,
13 for your love for me is very great.
You have rescued me from the depths of death.
Key Insights
Prayer begins with honesty, not polish. “Bend down… I need your help.” There’s no posturing here. No need to impress God. The psalmist simply pours it all out, raw and unfiltered.
God’s character is not a theory, it’s a lifeline. The psalmist clings to what has been revealed—God is merciful, forgiving, and full of love. Theology becomes survival.
This is prayer as protest. The psalmist pleads for God to see, to act, to rescue. There’s trust, yes—but it’s trust forged in struggle. This is a cry for liberation.
Hope is formed in repetition. “I will call… you will answer…” The psalmist repeats God’s attributes to anchor themselves in the truth. Sometimes faith is simply remembering.
Praising God doesn’t mean ignoring pain. The psalm moves from lament to praise, not by escaping pain but by naming it. Praise and grief can live side by side.
Sacred Practice:
A Prayer for When You’re Barely Holding On
God of mercy,
bend down and listen.
Don’t wait for me to find the perfect words.
Receive the ones I can barely whisper.
I trust in your love,
not because life is easy,
but because I believe you are still near.
Jesus-Centered Question
When you pray, do you believe God bends down to listen?
How might that change the way you speak, and live?
Reflections & Resources
I have to tell you that this was very beautiful and meaningful to me this morning. I also sent it to a friend of mine who is walking such a hard road. So much tragedy in her family and she is trying to stay strong. And her church is trying so hard to support her. But sometimes we all feel so lost. Thank you for this.