Psalm 86: A Prayer of Dependence
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH God is that of children to a parent, sheep to a shepherd, creators to the Creator. We are dependent on him for life, for breath, for sustenance, for help in trouble, for love, for forgiveness, for mercy. We may like to think of ourselves as independent and self-sufficient. But we are not. We need God. It is vital that we acknowledge our need for him because it is the beginning place of our relationship with him. This psalm helps us give voice to our dependence on God.
Warming Up to God
Think of a time when you needed to rely on someone for emotional or physical support. What feelings did you have about depending on them for help?
Read Psalm 86. »
Discovering the Word
- What is the overall sense you get about the nature of the psalmist's relationship with God?
- List the many requests the psalmist makes of God.
- The psalmist sees God as loving, powerful and actively involved in caring for him. What are some of the specific statements he makes about God?
- What impact would this view of God have on a person's ability to depend on God?
- How does the psalmist show his dependence on God throughout this psalm?
Applying the Word
- What reactions do you have to this kind of dependency on God?
- How might the psalmist's dependency on God encourage you to depend more fully on God?
- In what areas of your life do you need to acknowledge your dependence on God?
Responding in Prayer
Freely express your sense of need for God and your struggles to depend on him.
For Further Study
Faith: Depending on God by Dale Larsen & Sandy Larsen