Matthew Henry Commentary Psalms 141:1-4

"Jehovah, I have called upon thee; make haste unto me: Give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, To practise deeds of wickedness With men that work iniquity: And let me not eat of their dainties." — Psalms 141:1-4 (ASV)

Make haste unto me. Those who know how to value God's gracious presence will be more fervent in their prayers. When presented through the sacrifice and intercession of the Saviour, they will be as acceptable to God as the daily sacrifices and burnings of incense were in ancient times. Prayer is a spiritual sacrifice; it is the offering of the soul and its best affections.

Good men know the evil of sins of the tongue. When enemies are provoking, we are in danger of speaking rashly. While we live in an evil world and have such evil hearts, we need to pray that we may neither be drawn nor driven to do anything sinful.

Sinners pretend to find allurements in sin; but those who consider how soon sin will turn into bitterness will dread such allurements, and pray to God to remove them from their sight and by his grace to turn their hearts against them. Good men pray against the allurements of sin.