save me from this hour

I work best under pressure. Not sure that's a strength as much as a necessity. If not disciplined enough to ensure that the last-minute build-up doesn't occur, success during these late stages is not so much a skill as it is a survival mechanism. In any case, overwhelming tasks + little time + little hope = success.

It is no small wonder that these late stages are filled with immense amounts of prayer. All success is directed upward, that's clear. What's unclear is why He would even honor such late-stage pleadings. Lisa Simpson once intoned that prayer was the "last refuge of a scoundrel". Another formula for you: scoundrel = me.

I see these late-stage rescues as indicative of all of God's answers, really. Driven to knees for whatever reason, when little hope, Lord abounds. It is not a surprise, nor unusual pattern, but well laid out plan.