I Cry to You, Lord

You can listen to Psalm 142 below and read the passage in the New International Version here.

“I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out before him my complaint;
before him I tell my trouble.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
people have hidden a snare for me.
Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”

Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.”

— Psalm 142

Hi friends! Thank you so much for joining us here.

We hope these journal starters spark reflection on the Psalms.

If you want to, you can share some of your thoughts in the comments section below. We would love to hear how God is working in your heart.

Journal Starter for Psalm 142

1. Both Psalm 57 and Psalm 142 were written by David when he was in a cave, fleeing from King Saul. When we look at the psalms together, we see that David experienced a wide range of emotions during this time. 

   Write/pray about a situation during which you experienced a lot of different emotions. What was that like for you? How did God meet you during that time?

   Though we can see David's very real struggle in this psalm, he continues talking to God and asking for His help.

   Are there certain difficulties that make it harder for you to talk to God? Why might that be?
   What might God be inviting you to talk to Him about? You can talk to Him silently, out loud, or in writing.

2. David felt like no one was concerned for him, he had no refuge, and that no one cared for his life (verse 4). BUT, he also said that the LORD watched over his way (verse 3) and that the LORD was his refuge and portion (verse 5).

   Tell about a time you felt like no one cared about you or that you had no safe place to go (whether physically or spiritually).
   What truths about God come to mind when you think about that situation? Or, what truths about God do you think would have encouraged you during that time?

3. In the final verse of this psalm, David looked toward the future. He wrote:
   Set me free from my prison,
       that I may praise your name.
   Then the righteous will gather about me
       because of your goodness to me. 

   What are your hopes for the future?