Hear My Prayer O Lord Series

“Hear My Prayer O Lord”

Psalm 102

We continue to look at the prayers within the Bible; not to memorize but to see how others prayed.

I don’t know about anybody else but this study is helping me to pray in a manner that is in line with the Bible.

I have to be honest and say that my prayers have been shallow and superficial but that is changing.

What a mighty God we serve.

We see the superscript “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.”

Psalm 102:13-14 show us that the psalm was written when Zion was in ruins and the time of her restoration at hand.

It could very well be during the time of Nehemiah as he rode around the walls and views the destruction.

My question is; does the timing really matter?

No, because there are times in our lives when the walls of our heart has been burned and destroyed.

I am not here to say that we need to bellyache before God every time we call upon His name, but that there are times that “HAPPY” is not in our vocabulary.

We will consider this Psalm in four (4) points.

1. The Opening Of Prayer

2. The Honest Complaints Of The Heart

3. The Joy Of Victory In Christ

4. But God

I. The Opening Of Prayer

Psalm 102:1-2

The opening of Psalm 102:1-2 are similarly found in other Psalms.

"Let my cry come unto Thee" recalls Psalm18:6.

"Hide not Thy face" in Psalm 27:9.

"In the day of my straits" of Psalm 59:16.

"Bend to me Thy ear" is in Psalm 31:2.

"In the day when I call " as in Psalm 56:9.

"Answer me speedily" is found in Psalm 69:17.

The point that needs to be understood; going to God with an honest broken heart and life is what God wants from His children.

We need not dwell every day or every moment with sorrow, but we do have times that we are sad, broken, distraught, in anguish, with no hope in sight.

Or at least that is our view.

Pain is not a happy time, but there are times when we simply admit that we are in pain we see the first steps toward God and the healing that only He can give.

II. The Honest Complaints Of The Heart

Psalms 102:3-11

Vs. 3 “For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.”

Smoke - Suddenly rises up, is easily and quickly disappears; so sudden, short, and transient, are the days of man's life

James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Vs. 4 “My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.”

Sometimes, through grief and trouble, persons refuse to eat, so consumed with grief or pain that they forget to care for their own needs.

Vs. 5 “By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.”

Under the burden of sin, and pressure of afflictions: reduced to a skeleton, became nothing but skin and bone.

That happens when you do not care for your personal needs.

Vs. 6 “I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

Pelican - A bird of solitude, and therefore the psalmist compares himself to it.

Owl of the desert - It delights to be on old walls, and in ruined houses, and cares not to consort with other birds

Vs. 7 “I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.”

I watch - Night after night, and take no sleep; cannot get any by reason of thought or the brain just will not shut down.

As a sparrow alone upon the housetop – They are seen from afar and make their houses in the population yet are alone.

Vs. 8 “Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.”

Godly people have their enemies, and always had; but then they are such who are also enemies to God, they continually throw out their heckling and mocking.

Vs. 9 “For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,”

Like job, it is not hard to imagine that grief can take us to a place where hope and comfort seem untouchable.

Vs. 10 “Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.”

We all deserve the wrath of God.

When sin weighs heavy do to the Law Of God, we find our only help is God and His Mercy.