Psalm 102 A Prayer of the Afflicted
1. Their Prayer - It's -
Personal - 1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee
Punctual - 2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
Pressing - It's In Their Bones -
3 For my days are consumed like smoke and my bones are burned as an hearth.
In Their Heart - 4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass;
so that I forget to eat my bread.
In Their Voice - 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning
In Their Skin - 5 my bones cleave to my skin.
Private - 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
2. Their Problems - Are -
Without - 8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
Within - 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
Above - 10 because of thine indignation and thy wrath:
for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
Below - 11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.
3. Their Persuasion - On the -
Permanence of God - 12 But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever;
and thy remembrance unto all generations.
Patience of God - 13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion:
for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
Presence of God - 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
and favour the dust thereof.
Preeminence of God - 15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord
and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
Power of God - 16 When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
Promise of God - 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
4. Their Praise - Shall be -
Pure - 18 This shall be written for the generation to come:
and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
Perceptive - 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;
from heaven did the Lord behold the earth;
Powerful - 20 to hear the groaning of the prisoner;
to loose those that are appointed to death;
Purposeful - 21 to declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
Practical - 22 when the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
5. Their Permanence - Their -
Condition - 23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days
Call - 24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:
thy years are throughout all generations.
Confidence - 25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth:
and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
Confession - 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure:
yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
Control - 27 but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
Crown - 28 The children of thy servants shall continue,
and their seed shall be established before thee.
