Psa 85:1-7 | MHM | STEP | Prayer for Restoration and Mercy In this psalm, the church is going through trouble and distress. They are taught to come to God in prayer, trusting that He hears and answers. God helps His people to pray by giving them the right words and desires in their hearts. Even when times are hard, God's people should remember and be thankful for His past kindness. This psalm teaches us how to pray when we are feeling weak and low. v. 1 : The people start by thanking God for what He has done before. They say, You, Lord , have been favorable to your land . God showed special kindness to Israel, giving them the land of Canaan and protecting them. His favor is the source of all good things for both nations and individuals (Psalm 44:3 ).

‏ Psalms 85:1-7

Prayer for Restoration and Mercy

In this psalm, the church is going through trouble and distress. They are taught to come to God in prayer, trusting that He hears and answers. God helps His people to pray by giving them the right words and desires in their hearts. Even when times are hard, God's people should remember and be thankful for His past kindness. This psalm teaches us how to pray when we are feeling weak and low.

v. 1: The people start by thanking God for what He has done before. They say, You, Lord, have been favorable to your land . God showed special kindness to Israel, giving them the land of Canaan and protecting them. His favor is the source of all good things for both nations and individuals (Psalm 44:3 ^a).

v. 2: Next, they remember how God brought them back from captivity. They say, You have brought back the captivity of Jacob (Psalm 85:1 ^b). God rescued them from their enemies and let them return home. Even when the captivity lasted a long time, God finally brought them back.

They also praise God for forgiving their sins. They say, You have forgiven the iniquity of your people; you have covered all their sin . God did not punish them as they deserved. When God forgives, He covers all our sins. His mercy in bringing them home included the pardon of their wrongdoing.

v. 3: The people recognize that God did not stay angry with them. They say, You have taken away all your wrath; you have turned from the fierceness of your anger . God's anger stopped when their sin was forgiven. He did not let His wrath destroy them, but had compassion on them when someone prayed and asked for mercy.

v. 4: Now, they ask God to turn their hearts back to Him. Turn us, O God of our salvation . They know that if God changes them, they can truly return to Him and be saved. Without turning to God, there can be no salvation.

v. 5: The people beg God to stop being angry with them. Will you be angry with us forever? . They hope God will not stay angry through all generations. God is merciful and does not remain angry forever, so they trust He will forgive them as He did their ancestors.

v. 6: They ask God to revive them. Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? . They want God to bring them comfort and deliverance, just as He did in the past. When God brought them out of captivity, it was like new life (Ezra 9:8; Ezekiel 37:11–12 ^c). Now they ask for revival again so they can rejoice in God and give Him glory.

v. 7: Finally, they pray for God's mercy to be shown clearly. Show us your mercy, O Lord, and grant us your salvation . They want not only mercy, but also to know and feel that God is being merciful. They ask for salvation as a gift from God, knowing that salvation comes only from His mercy.