Hear my cry, O God, attend to my prayer. Hear my cry, O GodThe psalmist begins with a heartfelt plea, "Hear my cry, O God." The Hebrew word for "cry" here is "rinnah," which can denote a shout of joy or a cry for help. In this context, it is a desperate plea for divine attention. The use of "O God" signifies a personal relationship and trust in the Almighty. Historically, this reflects the ancient Israelite practice of calling upon God in times of distress, acknowledging His sovereignty and willingness to listen. The psalmist's cry is not just a request but an expression of faith that God is attentive to the prayers of His people. attend to my prayer
The phrase "attend to my prayer" is a continuation of the plea for divine intervention. The Hebrew word "qashab" means to listen or give heed. It implies an expectation that God will not only hear but also respond to the prayer. This reflects a deep-seated belief in the responsiveness of God, a theme prevalent throughout the Psalms. The psalmist is confident that God is not distant or indifferent but is actively engaged in the lives of those who seek Him. This assurance is rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people, where prayer is a vital means of communication and connection. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of this psalm, David is expressing a deep, personal plea to God. He is often seen as a model of faith and reliance on God throughout the Psalms. 2. GodThe recipient of David's prayer, God is portrayed as a listener and responder to the cries of His people. This reflects His nature as compassionate and attentive. 3. PrayerThe act of communicating with God, which is central to this verse. It highlights the importance of seeking God in times of need. Teaching Points The Importance of Crying Out to GodDavid's example shows that it is not only acceptable but encouraged to cry out to God in times of distress. This act of vulnerability is a demonstration of faith and trust in God's ability to hear and respond. God's Attentiveness to Our PrayersThe verse reassures believers that God is attentive to our prayers. This should encourage us to approach Him with confidence, knowing that He listens and cares. The Role of Prayer in Our LivesPrayer is a vital part of the believer's life, serving as a direct line of communication with God. It is through prayer that we express our needs, fears, and hopes, and it is a means by which we can experience God's peace and guidance. Trust in God's ResponseWhile the timing and manner of God's response may not always align with our expectations, we can trust that He hears us and will act according to His perfect will and timing. Bible Study Questions 1. How does David's approach to prayer in Psalm 61:1 inspire you in your own prayer life? 2. In what ways can you cultivate a habit of turning to God in prayer during times of distress, as David did? 3. Reflect on a time when you felt God heard your prayer. How did that experience strengthen your faith? 4. How can the assurance of God's attentiveness to our prayers, as seen in Psalm 61:1, impact your daily walk with Him? 5. What other scriptures can you find that emphasize the importance of prayer, and how do they complement the message of Psalm 61:1? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 18:6This verse also speaks of David calling upon the Lord in distress, emphasizing God's responsiveness to prayer. Philippians 4:6-7These verses encourage believers to present their requests to God through prayer, promising peace in return, which aligns with the theme of seeking God in Psalm 61:1. 1 Peter 5:7This verse instructs believers to cast their anxieties on God because He cares for them, echoing the trust and reliance seen in David's plea. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Attend, 61, Chief, Choirmaster, Corded, Cry, David, Ears, Gt, Heed, Instrument, Instruments, Leader, Listen, Loud, Lt, Music, Musician, Music-maker, Neginah, O, Open, Overseer, Prayer, Psalm, Stringed, String-musicDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 61: 5420 music
5421 musical instruments Psalm 61:1-2 8128 guidance, receiving
8653 importunity, to God Psalm 61:1-3 4354 rock Library December 15. "When My Heart is Overwhelmed Lead Me to the Rock that is Higher than I" (Ps. Lxi. 2).
"When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock that is higher than I" (Ps. lxi. 2). The end of self is the beginning of God. "When the tale of bricks is doubled then comes Moses." That is the old Hebrew way of putting it. "Man's extremity is God's opportunity." That is the proverbial expression of it. "When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I." That is David's way of expressing it. "We have no might against this company, neither know we what to do." No might, no …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth A Living, Loving, Lasting Word,
"I will trust in the covert of Thy wings." -- Psalm 61:4. L. M. Under Thy wings, my God, I rest Under Thy shadow safely lie; By Thy own strength in peace possessed, While dreaded evils pass me by. With strong desire I here can stay To see Thy love its work complete; Here I can wait a long delay, Reposing at my Savior's feet. My place of lowly service, too, Beneath Thy sheltering wings I see; For all the work I have to do Is done through strengthening rest in Thee. I would not rise this rest above; …
Miss A. L. Waring—Hymns and Meditations The Far and Near
Gerhard Ter Steegen Ps. lxi. 4 In Him we live, in Him we move; seek not thy God afar; He is not prisoned in a height above sun, moon, and star. But thou through strange dark lands hast strayed, and wandered far from Him; And therfore He, O Soul, to thee, is distant and is dim. Lord, I was in the far-off land, I loved from Thee to stray, And when unto myself I came, a swine-herd far away, One moment--then the welcome sweet, the kiss, the Father's Home; Far distant was the distance; to Thy bosom I …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others Thy Neck is Like the Tower of David, Builded with Bulwarks; a Thousand Shields Hang Upon It, all the Armor of Mighty Men.
The neck is the strength of the soul; it is well likened to the tower of David, because all the strength of the soul is in God, who is the house of Jesus Christ and of David. For this great King insists in many places in the Psalms, that God alone is his support, his refuge, his defence, and, above all, his strong tower (Psalm 61), The bulwarks that surround it are the total abandonment the soul has made of itself to God. Trust, faith and hope have fortified it in its abandonment; the weaker it is …
Madame Guyon—Song of Songs of Solomon Introduction. Chapter i. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers.
St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. He learnt his theology, as we shall see, from Eastern authorities, and was not content to carry on and develop the traditional teaching of the West; and the disciple …
St. Hilary of Poitiers—The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers The Horns of the Altar
WE MUST tell you the story. Solomon was to be the king after David, but his elder brother, Adonijah, was preferred by Joab, the captain of the host, and by Abiathar, the priest; and, therefore, they got together, and tried to steal a march upon dying David, and set up Adonijah. They utterly failed in this; and when Solomn came to the throne Adonijah was afraid for his life, and fled to the horns of the altar at the tabernacle for shelter. Solomn permitted him to find sanctuary there, and forgave …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 31: 1885 Sermon on the Mount Continued Its Woes in Strict Agreement with the Creator's Disposition. Many Quotations Out of the Old Testament in Proof of This.
"In the like manner," says He, [3982] "did their fathers unto the prophets." What a turncoat [3983] is Marcion's Christ! Now the destroyer, now the advocate of the prophets! He destroyed them as their rival, by converting their disciples; he took up their cause as their friend, by stigmatizing [3984] their persecutors. But, [3985] in as far as the defence of the prophets could not be consistent in the Christ of Marcion, who came to destroy them; in so far is it becoming to the Creator's Christ that …
Tertullian—The Five Books Against Marcion Letter vi (Circa A. D. 1127) to the Same
To the Same He protests against the reputation for holiness which is attributed to him, and promises to communicate the treatises which he has written. I. Even if I should give myself to you entirely that would be too little a thing still in my eyes, to have recompensed towards you even the half of the kindly feeling which you express towards my humility. I congratulate myself, indeed, on the honour which you have done me; but my joy, I confess, is tempered by the thought that it is not anything …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 61:1 NIVPsalm 61:1 NLTPsalm 61:1 ESVPsalm 61:1 NASBPsalm 61:1 KJV
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