Read & explore together
I Stretch Out My Hands to You
Psalm 143 is a prayer-song that speaks honestly about distress, guilt, longing and trust. The writer asks Yahweh to hear, remembers what God has done, and asks for guidance, rescue and renewed life.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
In these verses, the speaker addresses Yahweh directly through prayer and petitions. The psalm moves from asking for relief and mercy, to describing pressure from enemies and inner weakness, then to remembering God’s works and asking for teaching, guidance, deliverance and help against those who afflict him.
Psalms 143:1–12Main takeaway
This psalm teaches that in deep trouble a servant of God may openly ask for mercy, guidance and rescue while trusting God’s faithfulness, righteousness, loving kindness and good Spirit.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A plea for mercy, not judgmentThe psalm opens with urgent prayer. The speaker asks Yahweh to hear and listen, and bases that request on God’s faithfulness and righteousness.
Explanation
The psalm opens with urgent prayer. The speaker asks Yahweh to hear and listen, and bases that request on God’s faithfulness and righteousness. He also admits that no living person is righteous before God, so he asks for relief rather than judgment. This gives the prayer a humble and honest beginning.
02Trouble outside and withinThe next lines describe severe pressure. An enemy pursues his soul, strikes his life down, and makes him live in dark places like the long dead.
Explanation
The next lines describe severe pressure. An enemy pursues his soul, strikes his life down, and makes him live in dark places like the long dead. Because of this, his spirit is overwhelmed and his heart is desolate. The psalm names both outward danger and inward exhaustion.
03Remembering God and reaching outInstead of stopping at despair, the speaker remembers the days of old, meditates on God’s doings, and contemplates the work of God’s hands.
Explanation
Instead of stopping at despair, the speaker remembers the days of old, meditates on God’s doings, and contemplates the work of God’s hands. He spreads out his hands to God, and says his soul thirsts like parched land. The picture shows deep need and active turning toward God.
04Asking for direction, rescue and lifeThe final movement asks Yahweh to answer quickly, not hide his face, and let him hear loving kindness in the morning.
Explanation
The final movement asks Yahweh to answer quickly, not hide his face, and let him hear loving kindness in the morning. He asks to know the way he should walk, to be delivered from enemies, taught to do God’s will, led by God’s good Spirit, revived, and brought out of trouble.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Why does the speaker ask for relief but not for judgment?
Look at how he speaks about God’s faithfulness and righteousness, and then at his statement that no living person is righteous before God.
02What images show how desperate the speaker feels?
Notice the dark places, the overwhelmed spirit, the desolate heart, and the thirsty land.
03What does the speaker ask God to do besides rescue him from enemies?
List the requests about hearing loving kindness, knowing the right way, being taught, being led and being revived.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 143:1–12
1Hear my prayer, Yahweh. Listen to my petitions. In your faithfulness and righteousness, relieve me.
2Don’t enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight no man living is righteous.
3For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
4Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me. My heart within me is desolate.
5I remember the days of old. I meditate on all your doings. I contemplate the work of your hands.
6I spread out my hands to you. My soul thirsts for you, like a parched land. Selah.
7Hurry to answer me, Yahweh. My spirit fails. Don’t hide your face from me, so that I don’t become like those who go down into the pit.
8Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you.
9Deliver me, Yahweh, from my enemies. I flee to you to hide me.
10Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
11Revive me, Yahweh, for your name’s sake. In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble.
12In your loving kindness, cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul, for I am your servant.