August 18, 2023
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to you!
Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call!
Psalm 102:1-2 (ESV)
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The subtitle of this psalm is “A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.” It was written by David, clearly when he was greatly distressed. Later in the psalm, he says, “For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink, because of your indignation and anger,” (v.9-10) yet he still turns it into a song of praise in the end.
But note the boldness of his prayer in these first two verses! He tells God not only to answer him but to answer him speedily. David sets a great example of how to seek God in his Psalms. He always turns to the Lord in his distress and does so with conviction and vigor. His passion reveals his heart’s sincerity and his trust in the Lord. This is how we should strive to pray, especially in our own times of affliction.