Psalms 6 — Have Mercy Upon Me, O Lord; For I Am Weak
O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger. Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake. In death there is no remembrance of thee. I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.
“Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed.”
— Psalm 6:2
- v.1-7 The cry from weakness
- v.8-10 The Lord has heard
The shift in the psalm. The complaint becomes confidence. Hath heard... will receive.
A pattern. The honest cry of weakness is heard; the answer is on the way. Pray through verse 2 to verse 9.
Verse 2 is the prayer for the depleted day. I am weak. Bring the honesty before the request; the verse will move from weakness to the hearing of verse 9.
Christ Himself prayed with strong crying and tears (Hebrews 5:7). The psalmist's weak cry is honored in the same heaven that honored His.
A prayer from the bottom. I am weak — the honest opening. No pretense of strength.
A model for sick prayer. Tell God how thin the body and soul have become; ask for mercy and healing.