Psalm 70 (69):6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

O God, provide me aid. It is apt to consider Lazarus as a recipient of help: this needy and lacking man who was carried to Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:23), serving as a model for the Church, which must constantly acknowledge its need for assistance. This is a truth rooted in piety. I proclaimed to the Lord, “Thou art my God.” Why is this so? Because You do not require my possessions. It is not us who are necessary for Him; rather, it is we who depend on Him, and thus He is indeed our Lord. For you are not the true Lord of your servant; both are mere mortals who rely upon God. If you believe your servant is in need of you for sustenance, remember that you also depend on your servant’s work. Each one has needs from the other, revealing that neither is a true master, nor is either a true servant. Listen to the genuine Lord, to whom you serve faithfully: I have declared to the Lord, “Thou art my God.” Why You, Lord? Because You do not seek my possessions, but what of You? Yet here I am, needy and impoverished. Behold the poor and destitute: may God provide nourishment, may God offer relief, may God assist: “God, saith the Lord, help me.” My helper and redeemer is You; O Lord, do not delay. You are my support and rescuer: I require assistance, You aid me; I am perplexed, You deliver me. No one removes the snares but You. We are surrounded by the burdens of various concerns; on every side, we feel as if we are entangled by thorns, walking a narrow path that may ensnare us. Let us proclaim to God, “Thou art my deliverer.” He who has shown us the cramped road (Matt. 7:14), instructs us on how to walk it... what does this plea for no delay signify? Many claim, “It is taking too long for Christ to return.” But what does it mean for us to say, “do not delay,” will He arise before His designated time? What does our prayer indicate? We seek that Your arrival does not appear tardy. For what seems prolonged to us is brief to God, to whom a thousand years are but a single day or a fleeting moment. And if you lack patience, it will become too late for you; in that lateness, you may turn away from Him, like those who grew weary in the wilderness and hastened to request from God the pleasant gifts He had in store for them; when those desirable gifts did not manifest in a corruptible manner, they grumbled against God and yearned for Egypt in their hearts.... Therefore, refrain from such actions: heed the word of the Lord, saying, “Remember Lot's wife” (Luke 17:32). She was on the road, having been rescued from Sodom, yet she looked back; in her looking back, she became a pillar of salt, serving as a testament to you. She stands as an example, that you may remain determined and not be distracted on your journey. Notice how she hesitates and then proceeds; observe her gaze backward, and you aspire toward what lies ahead, as Paul exemplified (Phil. 3:13). What it means to forget what is behind. So you persist, called toward a heavenly reward, which you will celebrate in the days to come. The same Apostle affirms, “There remains for me a crown of righteousness, which in that day the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall reward me” (2 Tim. 4:8).

For when all human assistance fails, we will ultimately find God in their absence. "My helper and my redeemer art Thou, O Lord; do not delay." These sentiments appear in Psalm 39. Yet here, instead of "redeemer," the term "defender" is used, and instead of "Lord," it states "My God." Therefore, consider the interpretation of this Psalm in Psalm 39. Isychius remarks that "Helper" signifies one who is powerful; "Redeemer" suggests one who has committed to us for our brief mortality, aiming for the liberation from our captivity; do not tarry, for all the physicians despaired of this sick one.

During the era of Blessed Theodoret and Blessed Basil V, these phrases were not consistently present across all texts and may have originated from the title in verse 2, pointing to the faithful seeking a state that evokes deep prayer.

Before embarking on any meaningful endeavor, we must acknowledge that without God’s assistance, it is impossible to initiate or complete anything worthwhile. Thus, we cry out for divine help, repeating the prayers that early ascetics, referred to as monks, recited fervently during their works: "My hope is in my Father, my refuge is in my Son, my safeguard is in the Holy Spirit." This prayer, known as the “prayer of Ioannikia,” was commonly recited in the early centuries of Christianity. The Angel of God instructed Monk Pakhomiy to perform twelve prayers each day and twelve at night. In fact, Monk Pachomius himself engaged in sixty prayers by day and sixty by night. This regimen includes, “By the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us,” followed by the Trisagion and the “Our Father,” Psalm 50, and the affirmation “I believe,” concluding with one hundred prayers of Jesus: “Worthy is…” and the dismissal: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.”

Moreover, the leader among the brethren prayed twelve thousand Jesus prayers, establishing the Jesus Prayer in monasteries, which should invariably be repeated, with attention away from worldly distractions, embracing a life of continuous prayer as encouraged in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. It is fitting for us, therefore, to approach God with great reverence and tears, humbly submitting our petitions in a quiet and sincere manner, as taught by Abba Pamvo.