Psalms
Chapter 141
Lord, I Am Calling You, Come Quickly
Lord, I call on you, hasten to help me! Listen to my plea when I call to you.
Let my prayer rise to you, like incense; as I lift up my hands, as in an evening sacrifice.
O the Lord, set a guard at my mouth; keep watch at the gate of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to evil; let me not be enticed into evil acts in company with sinners, and let me not partake of their delights.
Rather, the reproach and the just scourge, than the oil of the wicked anointing my head.
When their rulers are flung upon the rock, only then, will these wicked learn that I was tolerant with them;
when the earth opens to swallow them, and their bones are scattered at the edge of the netherworld.
But my eyes are turned to you, O God, my Lord; strip me not of life, for you are my refuge.
Keep me from the trap they have set for me; keep me from the net laid by evildoers.
Let the wicked fall into their own snares, while I alone escape, safe and free.
Commentaries
141
As each day ends, what do we bring to God? Only our fatigue with the struggle, our dismay that it must go on, and our prayer that we may endure. ‘Let my prayer rise to you like incense…’ are the psalmist’s words. If we, too, pray sincerely, our prayers will rise to heaven. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus tells us, ‘When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is with you in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.’ In John 15:16, Jesus says, ‘And whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.’
We can pray with this psalm when we see evil around us and don’t want to sin or hurt anyone with our words. With this psalm, we ask God to deliver us from evil.