Prayer For God’s Protection

Psalms 71:1–13
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In this passage it seems that the psalmist was old and saw life as a testimony of all God had done for him. He finds himself approaching the last lap of his journey in the service of God, he had run a good race, he had kept the faith, and he pleads with God for strength to finish well.

1. He expresses God’s faithfulness (vv. 1-3) - He rests everything on the character of God and on the compassion of God. Let a person invest his faith and trust in the living God and he will find that, when all else fails, God is still in business.
2. He shares the experience of God’s faithfulness (vv. 4-6) - This godly old believer had been trusting God for a long time. He remembered many occasions when God had saved him from trials in life. As an old man, he was determined to keep trusting Him.

The psalmist now gives detail of the threatening circumstances that he finds himself in old age.

1. The problem he was finding (v. 7) - All eyes were on him.
2. The praise he was formulating (v. 8) - He was determined to give thanks in his circumstances, even if he did not like them.
3. The pressure he was feeling (v. 9) - He pleads that God will no longer burden him.
4. The persecution he was facing (vv. 10,11) - As he grows old it seems that the walk gets more lonely and the battles become more intense.

Application

Remembering how God has blessed me during my lifetime will help me see the consistency of His grace, trust Him for the future and share with others the benefits of being faithful.