Psalm 54 was the prayer for deliverance that David prayed when the Ziphites from the Wilderness of Ziph reported to Saul in First Samuel 23:19-24 that they knew David was hiding in their hill country.

David begins in 54:1 by seeking God’s “name” which, according to 54:6, is YHWH or “Lord.” To have the “Name” was to have the presence of God and the presence of God would include his character and his salvation (protection, deliverance, etc.) This concept is seen in Deuteronomy 12:5, 11, 21 when the Lord said he would “put his name” in the place for him to be worshipped (Jerusalem) and then again in 1 Kings 8:1-66 when Solomon dedicates the temple as the seat of the presence of the Lord because God had put his name there.

In the wilderness of Ziph “in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon” (1 Sam. 23:19) David asks God to “Save me…by your name!” (Ps. 54:1) The word “save” comes from the Hebrew root word that means “to be wide and broad” and communicates idea of being set loose in wide open space, free from constrictions. The meaning is “help,” “deliver,” “rescue.” In the second line of 54:1 David uses the word “vindicate” when he asks God to “vindicate me by your might.” The word “vindicate” is a legal term from the Hebrew court system that means “defend” and “judge.” David considers himself innocent. He sees himself as righteous, yet persecuted by villains in a military conflict and in a legal battle.

David is asking for the presence of God to be manifest and to deliver him from the hands of men. These men are described in Psalm 54:3 as:

• “Strangers” ("Arrogant foes") who “are attacking” David. These would be the men of Ziph who are handing over David merely for political gain. David has done these men no harm, thus he calls them “strangers” because David doesn’t even know them.
• “Ruthless men”…“without regard for God.” Saul is the “ruthless” tyrant who is persecuting David, the man of God. If Saul knew God’s will, God’s word and God’s ways he would not be hunting David, yet because Saul is “ruthless” and is “without regard for God” he comes against God and God’s man.

At the end of 54:3 David writes Selah as if to stop and meditate on the content of the first three verses:

• God’s name is his presence;
• God’s presence is salvation;
• God hears David;
• David is innocent in a legal matter that has escalated into a military conflict;
• the men who betray David have no quarrel with David;
• the man who hunts David, the man of God, has no regard for the things of God

Then, after a time of meditation, Psalm 54:4 begins with the Hebrew word hineh meaning “Look!” which is written in a form that means, “Look! God is about to help me” or “Look! God has already began helping me.”

            “Surely! God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” – Psalm 54:4

David then states in 54:5:
            “Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them!” - Psalm 54:5

Six Reasons Young People Leave the Church

Isolationism. One-fourth of 18- to 29-year-olds say church demonizes everything outside church, including the music, movies, culture, and technology that define their generation.

Shallowness. One-third call church boring, about one-fourth say faith is irrelevant and Bible teaching is unclear. One-fifth say God is absent from their church experience.

Anti-science. Up to one-third say the church is out of step on scientific developments and debate.

Sex. The church is perceived as simplistic and judgmental. For a fifth or more, a "just say no" philosophy is insufficient in a techno-porno world. Young Christian singles are as sexually active as their non-churched friends, and many say they feel judged.

Exclusivity. Three in 10 young people feel the church is too exclusive in this pluralistic and multi-cultural age. And the same number feel forced to choose between their faith and their friends.

Doubters. The church is not a safe place to express doubts say over one-third of young people, and one-fourth have serious doubts they'd like to discuss.

- from David Kinnaman's book
You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith
(source here)