¹I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord; I make supplication with my voice to the Lord. ²I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him … ⁷”Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to Your name…”

How can a godly person pray when circumstances are overwhelming and beyond his or her control? David was quite familiar with this kind of experience, judging from the historical accounts in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel and the lament psalms he wrote. His life was filled with conflict from an early age: animals threatening his flocks, King Saul hounding him in a jealous rage, the constant battles with the Philistines, managing the difficult-to-control generals in his army, and conflict and rebellion plaguing his household. We can learn much from this man of God who reached out to the Lord for help in everything he faced.

The inscription to this psalm (in what I call verse 0) identifies it as a “Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.” This brief introduction, though having no verse number in our present Bibles, is never-the-less included in all the ancient manuscripts of the OT. We understand it to be part of inspired Scripture (unlike translators’ emendations, which are usually indicated in italicized print). The meaning of “Maskil” is obscure; scholars suggest it probably indicates a contemplative poem intended for the reader to meditate on in prayer.

This psalm was a prayer written by David when he was holed up in a cave, hiding from those who desired to harm him physically. There are two possible situations in his early life that could be the context for this psalm. In both, David found refuge in a cave when fleeing from King Saul, who was envious of his military successes. One cave was at a place called Engedi (1 Sam. 24:3) and the other was at Adullum (2 Sam 23:13). Whether it was in one of these caves or not, we know that David’s prayer came from a place of fear and hiding.

We hear the emotion and urgency of David’s prayer in four staccato notes: “I cry aloud,” “I make supplication,” “I pour out my complaint,” and “I declare my trouble.” He does not pray from an easy chair while sipping iced tea! His life is in danger, and his military prowess is not sufficient. Even if it were sufficient, we know that he refused to fight against Saul, whom he called “the Lord’s anointed” (1 Sam. 24:11). Killing the king would not be a victory for David in the Lord’s eyes.

David moves from writing about the Lord in the third person (vss. 1-2) to speaking to the Lord in prayer (vss. 3-7). In the midst of being trapped, powerless, persecuted, and imprisoned (vs. 6-7a), he knows the Lord is aware of his situation (vs. 3). We notice that David also expresses feeling alone, and that no one cares for him (vs. 4), even though he has a band of followers willing to defend him. He declares that the Lord is “my refuge, my portion in the land of the living” (vs. 5). God is David’s only hope and this man of God reveals his motivation in verse 7: he wants to live another day (and many more) to express his gratitude for the Lord’s help.

David understood that his purpose in life was more than just physical safety and comfort. His “portion” or allotment in life was to show his gratitude to the Lord for rescuing him. In common vernacular, David could hardly wait to tell God, “Thank You!” That is what it means to have a personal relationship with God; that is how a godly man focuses his prayer. This kind of grateful confidence in God puts a person in good company, as David suggests in the closing of his prayer, “The righteous will surround me, for You will deal bountifully with me.” We do well to follow David’s example when feeling down, depressed, persecuted, or alone, and to pray as he did.

Lord, I look forward to thanking You for being my refuge and strength and rescuing me from the onslaught of life that sometimes overwhelms me. I want to join the company of the righteous and glorify You for Your bountiful goodness in my life.