Psalm 4: Prayer To God For Relief From Distress

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Each of these psalms, although similiar in that they seek God's aid in times of needs, deal with different aspects of prayer. There include God's character, faith in God, the enemies we face, the judgement of God against our enemies, our sins against God and God's deliverance. As we study these prayers, we learn to seek God's help in different situations of need in our life.

We will face distress of many kinds in our everyday life in Christ. We may urgently need to find suitable transport or day-care for our children. We may desperately need to get approval or license for our business from the legal authorities. We may be facing a financial or a work-force crisis in our business. We may be facing difficulties with our children or with our unreasonable spouse. We may also face betrayal by so-called "friends" as well as persecution from those who hate us.

david's prayer in Psalm 4 gives us a good pattern for effective prayer in our distress (Psalm 4:1-8)

1 Answer me when I call to you,

O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;

be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?


How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself;


the LORD will hear when I call to Him.

4 In your anger do not sin;


when you are no your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer right sacrifices

and trust in the LORD.

6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"


Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
7 You have filled my heart with greater joy

than when their grain and new wine abound.
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
(Psalm 4:1-8)

From this prayer of David, we see the various elements of effective prayer that were highlighted by David.

Ask God for help and mercty
Believe that God will answer you
Do not sin against God.
Testify concerning the blessings of God, past, present and future, in the midst of your distress.

1. Ask God for help and mercy.
The first thing David did in his distress was to turn to God for God's help and mercy (Psalm 4:1). This is the easiest, wiset and most important thing to do whenever we face difficulties of any kind. Yet many believers turn to God only as a last resort. This should not be so.

1 Answer me when I call to you,

O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;

be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
(Psalm 4:1)

Whenever we are in need, God welcomes us to turn to Him for help. He promises to grant us mercy and grace whnever we turn to Him in prayer. He will help you, as He has promised (John 16:23; Hebrews 4:16)

I tell you the truth, my Father will give you WHATEVER you ask in my name.
(John 16:23)

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Hebrews 4:16)

2. Believe that God will answer you.
David declared that God will hear him when he called out to God (Psalm 4:3). God acts according to our faith (Matthew 9:29).

If we believe that God will not hear us or that He will not deliver us, then God wil not move to help us. If we believe that our problem is too big for God to solve, then God will not solve that problem of ours. However, if we believe that God will answer us, then He will act according to our faith. he will then see us through, no matter how serious our problem is.

3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself;

the LORD will hear when I call to Him.
(Psalm 4:3)

Then He (Jesus) touched their eyes and said, "According to our faith will it be done to you."
(Matthew 9:29)

3. Do not sin against God.
Even as we seek God's help, we must not sin against God by doubting Him, by dishonoring Him, or by sinnng against God in our anger. Sin separates us from the blessings of God. God will not bear us if we maintain a sinful attitude in our heart.

David knows that this is the attitude of all those who do not seek after the righteousness of God. Men will dishonor God (Psalm 4:2). Men will love delusions and lies and seek after false gods (Psalm 4:2). Men will doubt the goodness of God (Psalm 4:6). Men will walk in sinful anger and cut themselves from God. (Psalm 4:4).

2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?

How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

4 In your anger do not sin;


when you are on your beds
search your hearts and be silent

6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
(Psalm 4:2,4,6)

When we doubt God's goodness, we will not receive anything from God (James 1:6-8). When we sen against God by seeking after lies and false gods, God becomes our enemy (Exodus 20:3-6,16; Colossians 3:5,8-9). When we hold anger towards others, God will not hear us (Psalm 66:18; Mark 11:25).

But when he asks, he must believe an NOT DOUBT, because he who DOUBTS is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
(James 1:6-8)

You shall have no other gods before me.
(Exodus 20:3)

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is IDOLATRY. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: ANGER, RAGE, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not LIE to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.
(Colossians 3:5,8-9)

4. Testify concerning the blessings of God, past, present and future, in the midst of your distress.
david was a man who had gone through great trials and had seen the help, mercy and deliverance of God in his life. Even tough he was facing a bog problem in Psalm 4, he nevertheless declared his faith in God's blessings upon his life.

He declared that God will give him inward joy that is much greater than the superficial joy that comes from material abundance (Psalm 4:7). He testified that he will be able to sleep in peace, even in the midst of his trials, for God will safeguard and protect him (Psalm 4:8).

7 You have filled my heart with greater joy

than when their grain and new wine abound.
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety

As we confess the blessings of God over our life, Jesus our High priest will intercede for us at God's right hand and bring our confessions to pass (Hebrews 3:1; 4:14).

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our CONFESSION.
(Hebrews 3:1)

since then we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the son fo God, let us hold fast our confession.
(Hebrews 4:14)

Like David, we too should always make it a habit to confess and testify of the belssings of God in our life. We should always bring to our lips God's blessings -- blessings past, present and future -- whenever we face trials of any kind. As we confess the blessings of God over our life, our faith will arise. Our spirit will hear what our mouth speaks, and our faith will be strengthened.

As we meditate on God's past blessings, we will have the assurance that our unchanging God will be able to deliver and help us yet once again. And we will surely enjoy the blessings that we believe God for, because God honor our faith.

Thus God through David encourages His people always praise Him and not forget His benefits (Psalm 103:1-5). As we obey God, and begin to express our gratitude and thanks for His past and present blessings, He will surely arise to prove Himself strong on behalf of His people.

Praise the LORD, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits.

He forgive all my sins


and heals all my diseases;
He redeems my life from the pit

and crowns me with love and compassion.
He satisties my desires with good things,

so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's
(Psalm 103:1-5)

Your Thought:
1. Has God deliever you out of any problem or trouble in the past?

If the answer is "Yes," share our experience with others.

2. Why should we confess God's blessings over ourlife even in the midst of our distress?

3. What is the best way to build up your faith in God?

(Hint: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Romans 10:17).