and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just saying "pray when things get tough," it's highlighting that our prayers in hardship are the very evidence that we truly trust God, leading to our future praise and his glory. It reveals that when we turn to God in our deepest need, we're not just asking for help; we're demonstrating a spiritual reality that brings honor to him.
and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of God's powerful indictment against his people who perform religious duties outwardly but lack true devotion. After emphasizing that outward sacrifices mean nothing without inner sincerity (verses 7-13), God offers a counterpoint: true worship involves offering thanks, paying vows, and crucially, calling on Him in times of distress. This promise of deliverance and glorification flows directly from God's call for genuine relationship over empty ritual.
In a world that often offers quick fixes and distractions, God calls us to something deeper. He values a specific kind of offering, especially when life gets tough.
Psalms 50:15 isn't just about asking for help; it's about presenting a spiritual sacrifice to God. The verse follows God's declaration in verse 14 about offering 'thanksgiving' and paying vows. Here, 'calling upon me' (which includes prayer) is presented as the heart of this true worship.
The Essence of True Worship
We often pray for rescue, but do we consider the purpose behind God's intervention? It's a two-part promise with a profound outcome.
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The second part of the verse, 'I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me,' reveals the divine purpose in our times of trouble. God's deliverance isn't just a personal rescue; it's an opportunity for His name to be honored.
The Cycle of Deliverance and Glory
Understand the original words
qara' · Hebrew Verb
The act of petitioning God through prayer, especially in times of distress or need, reflecting a relationship of dependency and trust.
tsarah · Hebrew Noun
Times of adversity, distress, or affliction; specifically denotes the moments when human limitations lead believers to seek divine intervention.
chalats · Hebrew Verb
The act of God rescuing or saving His people from danger, distress, or their enemies, demonstrating His power and faithfulness.
kabad · Hebrew Verb
To honor, praise, or show reverence to God; it involves acknowledging His glory and character through one's life, worship, and testimony.
This passage echoes the promise in Psalms 50:15, directly stating that God will answer when His people call upon Him, revealing great and mighty things they could not otherwise know.
1 Corinthians 10:13This New Testament passage parallels the idea of God's faithfulness in delivering His people from trouble, assuring believers that God will not allow them to be tempted beyond what they can bear and will provide a way out.
Psalm 20:1This Psalm is a prayer for deliverance in times of trouble, directly linking calling upon God's name with His hearing and answering, much like the promise in Psalms 50:15.
Hebrews 4:16This verse encourages believers to approach God's throne of grace with boldness, especially in times of need, promising mercy and finding grace to help, aligning with the trust implied in calling upon God in trouble.
John 14:13-14Jesus tells His followers that whatever they ask in His name, He will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. This connects the act of asking (calling upon God) with the ultimate purpose of glorifying God, as seen in Psalms 50:15.
gillPsalms 50:15: "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."
And call upon me in the day of trouble,.... This is another part of spiritual sacrifice or worship, which is much more acceptable to God than legal sacrifices. Invocation of God includes all parts of religious worship, and particularly designs prayer, as it does here, of which God, and he only, is the object; and which should be performed in faith, in sincerity, and with fervency; and though…
pulpitPsalms 50:15: "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."
Verse 15. - And call upon me in the day of trouble (comp. Psalm 20:1). I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. The meaning is, "Then, when thou shalt offer unto me a true worship (ver. 14), if thou wilt call upon me in the day of trouble, I will assuredly deliver thee, and so give thee occasion for glorifying me."
This verse isn't just saying "pray when things get tough," it's highlighting that our prayers in hardship are the very evidence that we truly trust God, leading to our future praise and his glory. It reveals that when we turn to God in our deepest need, we're not just asking for help; we're demonstrating a spiritual reality that brings honor to him.
This verse is part of God's powerful indictment against his people who perform religious duties outwardly but lack true devotion. After emphasizing that outward sacrifices mean nothing without inner sincerity (verses 7-13), God offers a counterpoint: true worship involves offering thanks, paying vows, and crucially, calling on Him in times of distress. This promise of deliverance and glorification flows directly from God's call for genuine relationship over empty ritual.
This verse is part of God's powerful indictment against his people who perform religious duties outwardly but lack true devotion. After emphasizing that outward sacrifices mean nothing without inner sincerity (verses 7-13), God offers a counterpoint: true worship involves offering thanks, paying vows, and crucially, calling on Him in times of distress. This promise of deliverance and glorification flows directly from God's call for genuine relationship over empty ritual.
"and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”" — This verse isn't just saying "pray when things get tough," it's highlighting that our prayers in hardship are the very evidence that we truly trust God, leading to our future praise and his glory.…
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Last reviewed October 2026