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Illustration for Psalm 70: Come Quickly, LORD

Psalm 70

Come Quickly, LORD

When AfraidComfortJoy

This is a short, urgent prayer — David needs help right now! He calls out to God to hurry and help him. He is poor and needy and knows that God is his helper. Those who seek God will be glad when He comes.

  1. 1Make haste, O God, to rescue me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.
  2. 2May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
  3. 3May those who say "Aha! Aha!" turn back because of their shame.
  4. 4But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!"
  5. 5Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

What it means

This is one of the shortest prayers in the whole book, and it is basically: God, hurry! Sometimes you do not have a long, beautiful prayer in you — you just need help now. That short, urgent prayer is a completely real prayer, and God hears it.

A little prayer

God, please come quickly and help me. I need You now. Thank You that You hear even my shortest, most urgent prayers. Amen.

Memory verse

“Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.”

Psalm 70:5 (BSB)

Short enough to say while it is happening, which is the point of it.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. This whole psalm is five verses of 'hurry'. When have you needed help right now?
  2. David calls himself poor and needy. Is that hard to say?
  3. Does God mind being asked to hurry?
  4. What is the shortest prayer you have ever said?

Try this

The one-breath prayer

Everyone writes a prayer short enough to say in one breath. Learn each other's. Use them this week when there is no time for anything longer.

You will need: Paper and a pen.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)