Psalms 55

Psalms 55 1

My Notes Authors Matthew Henry - Commentary on the Whole Bible In these verses we have, I. David praying. Prayer is a salve for every sore and a relief to the spirit under every burden: _Give ear to my prayer, O God! _v. 1, 2. He does not set down the petitions he offered up to God in his distress, but begs that God would hear the prayers which, at every period, his heart lifted up to God, and grant an answer of peace to them: Attend to me, hear me. Saul would not hear his petitions; his other enemies regarded not his pleas; but, “Lord, be thou pleased to hearken to me. Hide not thyself from my supplication, either as one unconcerned and not regarding it, nor seeming to take any notice of it, or as one displeased, angry at me, and therefore at my prayer.” If we, in our prayers, sincerely lay open ourselves, our case, our hearts, to God, we have reason to hope that he will not hide himself, his favours, his comforts, from us.

Psalms 55 16

My Notes Authors Matthew Henry - Commentary on the Whole Bible In these verses, I. David perseveres in his resolution to call upon God, being well assured that he should not seek him in vain (v. 16): “As for me, let them take what course they please to secure themselves, let violence and strife be their guards, prayer shall be mine; this I have found comfort in, and therefore this will I abide by: I will call upon God, and commit myself to him, and the Lord shall save me;” for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, in a right manner, shall be saved, Rom. x. 13. He resolves to be both fervent and frequent in this duty. 1. He will pray fervently: “I will pray and cry aloud. I will meditate” (so the former word signifies); “I will speak with my own heart, and the prayer shall come thence.” Then we pray aright when we pray with all that is within us, think first and then pray over our thoughts; for the true nature of prayer is lifting up the heart to God. Having meditated, he will cry, he will cry aloud; the fervour of his spirit in prayer shall be expressed and yet more excited by the intenseness and earnestness of his voice. 2. He will pray frequently, every day, and three times a day—evening, and morning, and at noon. It is probable that this had been his constant practice, and he resolves to continue it now that he is in his distress. Then we may come the more boldly to the throne of grace in trouble when we do not then first begin to seek acquaintance with God, but it is what we have constantly practised, and the trouble finds the wheels of prayer going. Those that think three meals a day little enough for the body ought much more to think three solemn prayers a day little enough for the soul, and to count it a pleasure, not a task. As it is fit that in the morning we should begin the day with God, and in the evening close it with him, so it is fit that in the midst of the day we should retire awhile to converse with him. It was Daniel’s practice to pray three times a day (Dan. vi. 10), and noon was one of Peter’s hours of prayer, Acts x. 9. Let not us be weary of praying often, for God is not weary of hearing. “He shall hear my voice, and not blame me for coming too often, but the oftener the better, the more welcome.”

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