I have been praying through the psalms this summer. I have discovered lots of hidden gems among the lesser read and studied psalms and one of those was Psalm 123. The raw emotion and plea for God’s favor really gripped me to dig in.

Psalm 123 is a short psalm. It’s only four verses. But, wow, it’s a powerful prayer by God’s people seeking His divine favor.

I lift my eyes to you,
the one enthroned in heaven.
 Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor.

Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt.
 We’ve had more than enough
scorn from the arrogant
and contempt from the proud.

Psalm 123 CSB

We are going to look into the background of this short psalm, break it down, and use the pattern to pray for God’s favor.

Background on Psalm 123

Psalm 123 is listed as “A song of ascents.” These are a collection of 15 shorter psalms that were sung by Jews enter Jerusalem. As they entered, they would ascend (climb) up Mt. Zion, God’s holy hill, and sing these short praises to God as they prepared to enter His holy temple.

Psalm 123 is notable because it places one’s confidence completely in the hands of One more capable. It seeks help, deliverance, mercy, and favor all in four short verses.

James Boice comments, “The goal of the pilgrim is not Jerusalem, as important as that city was, or even the temple in Jerusalem, as important as it was, but God himself, whose true throne is not anywhere on earth but in heaven.” 

It is full of strong emotion and even hints of desperation. At some point in time, most all Jews (and believers today) can relate to the need for God to intervene on their behalf.

What is God’s Favor?

God’s favor is interchangeable in the scriptures with words like mercy and grace. What this means is that God’s favor is not something we deserve or earn, but something bestowed upon us by a loving Father.

Common Grace is given to all mankind because they are created in the image of God. It includes the beauty of the natural world, moral compass, and talents & gifts. The Bible says that God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good.” (Matthew 5:45)

God also has patience and compassion on all not wanting anyone to perish but all to be saved. (2 Peter 3:9) This is why His Saving Grace is open to all, but only given to those who repent and place their face in Jesus alone for salvation.

Titus 3:4-7 states, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.“

This helps us understand God’s favor because it rests on His children consistently all we have to do is ask in prayer. The scriptures following show the distinction of how God showers special favor on those who are His.

What the Bible Says About God’s Favor

Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6, and 1 Peter 5:5 all tell us that “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” This is a theme in Psalm 123 and the entire Bible that God gives grace and mercy to those who humble themselves before Him.

Let’s dive into a few more scriptures that help gain understanding on how God grants favor to His people:

• Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:2 NIV

• For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 NIV

• For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11 NIV

• Good people obtain favor from the Lord, but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes. Proverbs 12:2 NIV

• When a king’s face brightens, it means life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring. Proverbs 15:16 NIV

• As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.  For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NIV

How to Seek God’s Favor

What does this Psalm teach us about how to seek God’s favor?

First, we see the pilgrims focusing their attention on God : “I lift my eyes to you,
the one enthroned in heaven.” (v. 1) Many try to seek God’s favor without ever entering His presence in prayer.

The one’s singing this psalm are not focused on their circumstances, their journey, or themselves, but God alone. All attention is put to the One who can answer and make a way.

When our focus is on God, we are not distracted or afraid. We are full of adoration, praise, thanksgiving, and expectation of His goodness.

Second, we see humility. There is the posture of submission before a king as God’s people recognize themselves as His servants begging for His hand. “Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand, like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand, so our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor.” (v.2)

It’s an act of dependence and trust. It’s a child-like faith that knows we must seek the help and mercy of the only one who can deliver, save, and rescue. It’s learning to live like Jesus who came not to be served but to serve.

Also, this kind of humility submits to God’s will. We don’t come telling God how and what the favor looks like. It means we trust Him to act and give in our best interest and for His glory.

Finally, we see a request for God’s favor. “Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt. We’ve had more than enough scorn from the arrogant and contempt from the proud.”

This is not a shallow ask of people who want more wealth, power, or success. They are not looking to spend on their own selfish desires. (James 4:3 NIV ) These people have been mistreated. They have been on the receiving end of mocking, corruption, and arrogance.

They’ve had enough and they are asking the Lord to act on their behalf. The truth is that this world shows us enough bad. We need something good and perfect. We need favor from a Holy God who loves us.

Prayer Seeking God’s Favor

The pattern of this psalm is simple:

1. Worship God: Give Him the honor due to His name. Seek Him just to be in His presence. Seek His face before seeking His hand.
2. Humble Yourself: Admit you are helpless without Him. Posture yourself as a servant before their master.
3. Ask in Faith for His divine favor: Don’t doubt what God can do. Ask believing that He is good and will grant your request because you are His child who needs His intervention.

Lord, my eyes are on You. I am forgetting everything going on and focusing on You and Your goodness. I worship you because You are the Mighty King able to do anything! I admit that I am hopeless and helpless without you. I am your humble servant needing Your intervention in ________________. Please show me favor. I have enough ridicule and hardship in this world. Show me some mercy and goodness from your hand in this situation. I trust you to act according to Your perfect will. Amen.

More Psalms to Pray

How to Persevere in Prayer