One of the recurring themes in the Psalms is the idea of needing God to save. You find this idea over and over. David, and the other psalmists, cry out for God to rescue them from their enemies, their dangers, their circumstances.

Psalm 86 carries the same idea. Take a look at verse 2:

After reading Psalm 86, you get the idea that this is a personal pray of David. And it lends itself to that idea well. But there are a few commentators who suspect that there may be more here than just a personal plea for God’s provision of an undivided heart. Some scholars seem to think that this is a prayer written at the national level.

If so, it seems like a good prayer for America today.

Written with great fervor and passion, this psalm cries out for God to restore David and the nation of Israel into a right standing before God. And written with great confidence, this passage conveys just how great this need is.

So, both personally and nationally, this passage is worth committing to memory. That way, we can cry out to God with the same passion and confidence.

In your life, what keeps you from having an undivided heart towards God? And what do you see as the greatest barrier to this in a national scope? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.