Like the psalmist, he said, "we, too, are tempted to think perhaps God won't save me, doesn't know me, there's no possibility (of being rescued). The temptation against faith is the ultimate aggression of the enemy. And we must resist it. In this way we will find God and find life."

The psalm, attributed to King David when he was fleeing the army of his rebellious son, demonstrates that believers are never abandoned and "enemies are not unbeatable like he thought because the Lord hears the cry of the oppressed and responds," the pope said.

"Man cries in anguish, in danger, in pain; man cries for help and God responds," he said. "To cry out means to have faith in God's closeness and willingness to listen."

Psalm 3 is a reminder that no matter how bad things get, "God is always near, including in the midst of difficulties and problems, in the darkness of life. He listens, responds and saves in his own way, but we must be able to recognize his presence and accept his ways."

The pope ended his audience by praying that the Lord would "give us faith, come to our rescue when we are weak and make us able to believe and to pray in the midst of all anguish, in the dark nights of doubt and during the long days of suffering, abandoning ourselves with confidence in him, our shield and our glory."