✍ Bible Study
Chapter-by-Chapter Study Guides
Ch. 1
Ch. 2
Ch. 3
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Ch. 6
Ch. 7
Ch. 8
Ch. 9
Ch. 10
Ch. 11
Ch. 12
Ch. 13
Ch. 14
Ch. 15
Ch. 16
Ch. 17
Ch. 18
Ch. 19
Ch. 20
Ch. 21
Ch. 22
Ch. 23
Ch. 24
Ch. 25
Ch. 26
Ch. 27
Ch. 28
Ch. 29
Ch. 30
Ch. 31
Ch. 32
Ch. 33
Ch. 34
Ch. 35
Ch. 36
Ch. 37
Ch. 38
Ch. 39
Ch. 40
Ch. 41
Ch. 42
Ch. 43
Ch. 44
Ch. 45
Ch. 46
Ch. 47
Ch. 48
Ch. 49
Ch. 50
Ch. 51
Ch. 52
Ch. 53
Ch. 54
Ch. 55
Ch. 56
Ch. 57
Ch. 58
Ch. 59
Ch. 60
Ch. 61
Ch. 62
Ch. 63
Ch. 64
Ch. 65
Ch. 66
Ch. 67
Ch. 68
Ch. 69
Ch. 70
Ch. 71
Ch. 72
Ch. 73
Ch. 74
Ch. 75
Ch. 76
Ch. 77
Ch. 78
Ch. 79
Ch. 80
Ch. 81
Ch. 82
Ch. 83
Ch. 84
Ch. 85
Ch. 86
Ch. 87
Ch. 88
Ch. 89
Ch. 90
Ch. 91
Ch. 92
Ch. 93
Ch. 94
Ch. 95
Ch. 96
Ch. 97
Ch. 98
Ch. 99
Ch. 100
Ch. 101
Ch. 102
Ch. 103
Ch. 104
Ch. 105
Ch. 106
Ch. 107
Ch. 108
Ch. 109
Ch. 110
Ch. 111
Ch. 112
Ch. 113
Ch. 114
Ch. 115
Ch. 116
Ch. 117
Ch. 118
Ch. 119
Ch. 120
Ch. 121
Ch. 122
Ch. 123
Ch. 124
Ch. 125
Ch. 126
Ch. 127
Ch. 128
Ch. 129
Ch. 130
Ch. 131
Ch. 132
Ch. 133
Ch. 134
Ch. 135
Ch. 136
Ch. 137
Ch. 138
Ch. 139
Ch. 140
Ch. 141
Ch. 142
Ch. 143
Ch. 144
Ch. 145
Ch. 146
Ch. 147
Ch. 148
Ch. 149
Ch. 150
A Prayer of Trust in the God Who Hears
Psalms — Chapter 86 (BSB)
Chapter Overview
Psalm 86 is a personal prayer of David, identified in the superscription as 'A Prayer of David,' making it one of the few psalms in Book III explicitly attributed to him. The psalm opens with a heartfelt cry for God's attention, as David pleads in verse 1, 'Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.' Throughout the psalm, David anchors each petition in the character of God — His goodness, His forgiveness, His steadfast love — rather than in his own merit. Beginning in verse 8, David breaks into worship, declaring that no other god compares to the Lord and that all nations will one day bow before Him, grounding his personal prayer in cosmic truth. In verses 11-13, he asks God to unite his heart to fear the Lord alone, reflecting a deep desire for inner wholeness and undivided devotion. For the individual believer today, this psalm is a masterclass in honest, God-centered prayer — showing that coming to God in weakness, with eyes fixed on who He is, is the very foundation of a vibrant walk with Him.
Key Verses
Psalms 86:1 (BSB)
"Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy."
David begins not with confidence in his own standing but with an honest acknowledgment of his need. This kind of humility is not weakness — it is the posture God honors. When you come to God admitting your poverty of spirit, you are positioning yourself to truly receive from Him.
Psalms 86:5 (BSB)
"For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You."
David's confidence in prayer is rooted entirely in God's character, not his own record. The word 'forgiving' here carries the sense of ready and willing to pardon. This verse reminds you that when you call on God, you are not hoping He might be kind — you are calling on One who is defined by overflowing love and readiness to forgive.
Psalms 86:10 (BSB)
"For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God."
In the middle of his personal crisis, David pauses to declare the greatness of God with clarity and confidence. This is a vital spiritual discipline — lifting your gaze from your circumstances to the greatness of the One you are praying to. Worshiping God for who He is in the middle of difficulty reshapes your perspective and strengthens your faith.
Psalms 86:11 (BSB)
"Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name."
This verse is one of the most beautiful personal prayers in all of Scripture. David recognizes that a divided heart — pulled by worry, distraction, or competing loyalties — is the enemy of faithful living. Asking God to 'unite your heart' is a prayer for inner integrity, focus, and wholehearted devotion that you can bring to God at any moment.
Psalms 86:15 (BSB)
"But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness."
This verse echoes God's own self-revelation to Moses in Exodus 34, showing that David is praying Scripture back to God — a powerful model for your own prayer life. The attributes listed here — mercy, grace, patience, steadfast love, faithfulness — are not occasional moods of God but permanent, defining truths about who He is. You can rest your whole life on this description of your God.
Main Themes
- God-centered prayer rooted in His character
- Wholehearted devotion and undivided focus on God
- The incomparability and greatness of the Lord
Discussion Questions
- When you pray, do you tend to focus more on your problem or on who God is — and what might it look like to shift that balance this week?
- What does it mean to you personally to have a 'united heart' before God, and is there anything in your life right now that feels like it is pulling your heart in different directions?
Personal Application
Choose one attribute of God from this psalm — His goodness, His forgiveness, His greatness, or His steadfast love — and spend five minutes this week simply thanking Him for that quality before making any requests in prayer.
Write out verse 11 somewhere you will see it this week — your phone, a journal, a sticky note — and let it become your personal prayer, asking God daily to teach you His way and unite your heart to fear Him alone.
Closing Prayer
Father, I come to You today as David did — honestly, humbly, and in need. Teach me Your ways and unite my heart so that I am not pulled in a dozen directions but fully focused on You. Thank You that You are good, forgiving, and abounding in steadfast love — not because of anything I have done, but because of who You are. I trust You with everything I am carrying today, and I worship You as the one true God who alone does wondrous things. In Jesus name, Amen.