Psalm 25:16 — Turn to Me

Turn to Me

"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted."
— Psalm 25:16 (NIV)

Reflection

Loneliness is not merely the absence of people; it is more acutely the ache of feeling unseen. David prays, "Turn to me," because he knows that God's attention heals what company cannot. When the presence of others cannot reach your pain, that is precisely when you must turn to the presence of God (I show you how in the journal, for example, on Day 6 of Week 4 in Month 1), for God does not merely fill the silence; He redeems it.

Notice that David does not hide his loneliness behind pious phrases. Instead, he names it, bringing it before God without shame. That is because faith does not erase isolation, but brings it into conversation with the One who never leaves. Every cry for grace is an act of trust, a way of saying, "I believe You care enough to hear this."

Some wounds only ease when you stop pretending you are fine. God invites honesty, not performance. If you can speak your emptiness to Him, you are already less alone than before. Prayer becomes the doorway where pain meets presence. In time, that meeting changes what loneliness means: not a void, but a space where God enters.

Biblical Insight

Psalm 25 is one of David's acrostic prayers, a poem shaped by the Hebrew alphabet, as though he is trying to give structure to chaos. His loneliness is not self-pity but spiritual desolation. In the Hebrew sense, "afflicted" means pressed down, burdened, or humbled. By pairing loneliness with affliction, David confesses that separation from others and pressure from trials often travel together. His solution is not escape but connection; not a plea for distraction, but for divine attention.

In Application

  • Bring your loneliness to prayer, not to self-condemnation.
  • Let the phrase "Turn to me" become your own invitation to God.
  • Remember that God's gaze is not distant; it is deeply personal.
  • When others fail to understand, trust that He already does.

Practical Journaling

Reflect on Psalm 25:16, then write honestly:

  • What does loneliness feel like in your body or mind today?
  • How have you seen God meet you in quiet or isolated seasons?
  • Who might need your compassion, drawn from your own solitude?
  • Write your own short prayer beginning with "Turn to me, Lord..."

If writing feels too heavy today, simply sit with the verse and let it become your prayer.

The Faith Recovery Journal explores this topic further in Month 10, Week 2.