The Prayer of the Afflicted

(Psalm 102)

During last Sunday’s small group Bible study in District 1, we were studying Lesson 3 of Spiritual Warfare, titled “When Facing Inner Temptation.” During the discussion, one participant shared a verse from Matthew 5:3:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

As he shared this verse, he emphasized the lesson that we must empty our hearts.
When we think about inner temptations, I believe it’s often our failure to empty our hearts that keeps us from resisting those temptations.

For example, today I had lunch with Pastor Gómez, our pastor for the Hispanic ministry, and we had a conversation about the inner temptations that leaders may face on the mission field. These inner temptations are pride and greed. What is the root problem? It’s the inability to empty the heart.

How about your heart? Let’s take a moment to look inside ourselves.
What fills it? Is it the love of the Lord—or hatred and envy?
Is it humility—or pride?
Is your heart filled with the Word of God?

Reflecting on today’s passage, Psalm 102, has led me to a personal realization of the need for spiritual poverty. In other words, I feel that my heart must be more hungry to hear the Word of God. I want to hear, learn, and meditate on God’s Word with a heart that is poor in spirit. I want to cry out to God with that same poor spirit. Therefore, I want my heart to be filled with God’s Word.

Psalm 102:17 says:

“He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their plea.”

Based on this verse, I would like to reflect on two things under the title “The Prayer of the Afflicted”:

1. Who is “the afflicted”?

2. What is the nature of their prayer?

First, who is “the afflicted”?

The afflicted refers to “the believer who suffers affliction” (as explained by Park Yun-sun).
In Psalm 41, which we’ve already meditated on, the phrase “the weak” appears in verse 1.
According to Park Yun-sun, this word encompasses several meanings: the poor (Exodus 30:15), the sick (Genesis 41:19), and the faint-hearted (2 Samuel 13:4).

When we consider all these meanings together, “the weak” refers to all those who suffer under the discipline of God (according to Calvin).
Those suffering under God’s discipline are described as “the helpless” in English—those who cannot help themselves, the powerless.

This same Hebrew word is translated in other parts of Scripture as “poor” or “weak.” It often refers to those who are economically impoverished and thus placed in low or oppressed social positions.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, such people are described as “the faint-hearted” and “the weak.”
These weak ones in Psalm 41 are similar to the destitute mentioned in Psalm 102:17.

In summary, both the weak and the afflicted refer to those who suffer under the discipline of God. And it is this afflicted person—the psalmist in today’s text—who earnestly cried out to God in prayer.

What kind of suffering was this afflicted one enduring that caused him to pray so earnestly to God?

It is difficult to know who wrote this psalm, but one thing is clear: the author composed it during the Babylonian captivity, longing for the restoration of Jerusalem (according to Park Yoon-Sun).
In other words, the suffering of the afflicted one mentioned by the psalmist refers to the pain experienced during life in Babylonian exile.

Because of that suffering, the afflicted one’s body was wasting away (v.3), and his heart withered like grass (v.4).
He was also in a state of deep loneliness (vv.6–9).
The “pelican of the wilderness” and the “owl of the waste places” mentioned in verse 6 symbolize loneliness.
This means that believers often experience loneliness (v.7) (Park Yoon-Sun).
Taking advantage of this deep loneliness and distress, enemies attacked the afflicted one — the psalmist.
This was suffering upon suffering, one trial stacked upon another (Park Yoon-Sun).

But the greatest pain for the psalmist in the midst of this suffering is described in verse 10:

“Because of your indignation and your wrath; for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside.”

The psalmist understood that it was because of God’s wrath that the people of Israel were taken captive to Babylon and were suffering.
The cause, of course, was the sin of the people of Israel.

Are we not also the afflicted ones?
Are we not suffering under God’s discipline because of our sin?
Has our body and soul not grown weary from this suffering?
Are we not in a state of loneliness?
And in the midst of that, aren’t we experiencing even more pain due to those who trouble us — affliction upon affliction?

If you are enduring such suffering, then this is a fitting time to pray.
Like the afflicted psalmist in today’s passage, we must earnestly seek the Lord.
We must lift up fervent prayer to God.

Secondly, what was the prayer of the afflicted one like?

We can consider it from two perspectives:

(1) First, let’s consider the attitude of the afflicted one in prayer.

In one word, the prayer attitude of the afflicted is best described as assurance of salvation.
In other words, the psalmist prayed and hoped because he was confident that God would deliver the Israelites from their captivity in Babylon.
This was a conviction that came from God.

(a) The foundation of this conviction was God’s eternal existence.

Look at Psalm 102:12:

“But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations.”

When we come to truly know that our God lives and reigns forever, we gain full assurance that all things will be resolved (Park Yoon-Sun).
The psalmist had firm confidence that the eternally living God would fulfill His promises just as He had revealed in His word — His “memorial name.”
With that confidence, he earnestly prayed to God.

(b) The basis of this conviction is that “the Lord will arise and have compassion on Zion” (verse 13).

In other words, the assurance of salvation for the afflicted is grounded in the mercy of God.
Look at verse 13:
“You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.”
The psalmist, knowing that God would have compassion on Israel ("Zion"), was confident that God would save His people at the appointed time.
The reason the psalmist knew that God would show mercy was because he saw that Israel had repented, and now longed for "Zion" — the church — which they had once taken for granted, to the point that they even yearned for its stones and dust (verse 14) (Park Yoon-Sun).

We too must have this assurance of salvation.
When we pray, we must believe that because God is eternal and has compassion on His church, He will rescue us no matter what suffering we are in.
Especially in verse 16 of today’s passage, we see that our Lord will rebuild Zion — that is, His church — and will appear in His glory.
Therefore, we can pray to God with faith.
God looks down from heaven (verse 19), hears the groans of the prisoners, and sets us free (verse 20).
And for what purpose?
So that His people may declare the glory of the Lord and serve Him (verse 21).

(2) Secondly, let us consider the content of the prayer of the afflicted.

There are two main points:

(a) The first content of the afflicted person's prayer was a plea to extend their life.

Look at Psalm 102:23–24:
“He has broken my strength in midcourse; He has shortened my days. I said, ‘O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days—Your years go on through all generations.’”
In this miserable situation of suffering — physically, emotionally, and spiritually weakened — the afflicted psalmist prayed that God would restore his frail body and soul and deliver him from an early death (vv. 3–11, Park Yoon-Sun).

(b) The second content of the afflicted person's prayer was a plea for the children of the Lord to always remain and stand firm before Him.

Look at Psalm 102:28:
“The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.”
The afflicted psalmist not only prayed for his own health and deliverance from early death, but also pleaded for the people of God to remain forever.
He was able to pray this way because he believed in the eternality of God.
Because the psalmist believed that the church — the body of Christ whom he loved — would endure forever through the eternal God, he prayed to Him in faith.

As I meditated on the prayer of the afflicted psalmist, I was reminded of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus, deeply distressed and troubled (Mark 14:33), said that His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death (v. 34).
He knew all His disciples would abandon Him (v. 27).
And what was His prayer?
“Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will” (v. 36).
He ultimately obeyed the Father’s will and was crucified for our salvation.
As He died, He cried out:
“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” — “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34).
Jesus was even forsaken by God the Father — and through His death, eternal life was given to us.
The church of the Lord was made eternal through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Therefore, as people of the kingdom journeying toward the eternal heavenly city, we must lift up our prayers like the afflicted — as Jesus did — to our Father in heaven.
No matter what suffering or pain we face, we must pray earnestly with assurance of salvation to our eternal, compassionate God.
He will bring us to be with Him forever in heaven.

Wishing to become one who prays as the afflicted did,

Sharing by Pastor James Kim
(After singing Hymn #360 at Wednesday Prayer Service)