Hear My Prayer – Psalm 102

Many believers hold the common notion that we must somehow awaken God to hear our prayers, which is why people often organize long prayer meetings and even fast. King Solomon prayed with this very thought when he asked God to listen to the prayers of the people offered at the temple he had built. He said, “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you.” (1 Kings 8:52). But the truth is, God’s eyes are always open, and nothing is hidden from Him. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

The same God who saw Hagar in the desert and heard Ishmael’s cry is with us today with His unchanging character. Jesus foretold Peter’s denial, showing us that everything we have done, are doing, or will do is already known to Him. Yet, the Bible also reminds us that our sins and iniquities often blind us from seeing Him. Therefore, the misconception that we must awaken God to hear our prayers can be dangerous—it may even lead us into sin by making us think that unless we call on Him, He neither sees nor hears us.

Remember God And His Faithfulness

But you, LORD, sit enthroned forever;
your renown endures through all generations.
You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her;
the appointed time has come.
For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.
The nations will fear the name of the LORD,
all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.
For the LORD will rebuild Zion
and appear in his glory. – Psalm 102:12-16 (NIV)

The Psalmist often turned to the wonders of creation to grasp the power and glory of God. In moments of discouragement, he found strength in this practice, which is reflected throughout many of his psalms. This sets a valuable example for us: to lay aside our burdens, as the Psalmist often began by describing his troubles, and then lift our eyes to our Father God, seeking to understand His will for our lives. He also reminded the people who placed their trust in the stones of the temple that God would one day remove those stones and rebuild Jerusalem in His own way.

The writer also affirms that whether or not people pray, God already knows their condition and has compassion on them. His compassion is not something stirred by our petitions—it is His unchanging nature. Though our small trials may discourage us, they do not unsettle Him, for He is God forever.

Prayer Answering God

He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea. Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners
and release those condemned to death. – Psalm 102:13-20 (NIV)

Our Father God is not one who merely answers our prayers; rather, even before we ask, He has already provided for our needs. When we pray for something that is already on its way to us through God’s design, we may mistakenly think that our prayer is what brought it about. Yet, it is important to encourage the brokenhearted to pray, for without prayer they may lose confidence in approaching God. Still, prayer is not simply about making petitions—it is a way to remain close to God, who is already near to us, and to discern His plans for our lives. As we grow in understanding of God and His purposes, we naturally stop asking Him for things He has already prepared for us.

When people are unsure about how to approach Him or what to say, they often complicate things to avoid discomfort. But God, when we do not know how or what to speak with Him, gives us the Holy Spirit, who intercedes and leads us in prayer with deep groaning (Romans 8:26). This reveals that God is not merely the One who “answers” prayers, but the One who enables us to receive what He has already prepared for us in His wisdom. Therefore, we should not see Him only as a “prayer-answering God,” but as the loving Father who guides us in prayer so that we may obtain all that He has stored up for us through His work. How encouraging it is to know that when He intercedes for us, the result is certain.

When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane for the cup to be taken from Him, He also knew that He must drink it. Therefore, He submitted to the Father, saying, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” In contrast, when we pray for God’s will to be done, we are often uncertain about what His will truly is. To gain confidence in discerning God’s desire for our lives, we need a closer and continual walk with Him.

The Psalmist remembered how God heard the groaning of the Israelites and delivered them from their slavery. In the same way, God offered the life of Jesus as atonement to deliver us from eternal death—even when we were unaware of the destiny that awaited us.

The Purpose Of Sunday Gathering

So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship the LORD. – Psalm 102:21-22 (NIV)

We should praise God when we gather in His name—not only for what He has done for us but also for who He is. Yet many come to church on Sundays seeking to “find” or “meet” God, as though His presence is confined to a physical building. Others come hoping to have their sins washed away in the blood of Jesus, believing this happens when they partake in Holy Communion. In reality, Communion is not where forgiveness takes place, but rather a symbolic act of joining at God’s table, affirming the confidence that we have already been made righteous through His Son’s righteousness.

Since the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer, the act of gathering is a recognition that all share in the same Spirit. This unity of the Spirit reveals God’s glory and serves as a testimony to unbelievers, who in time may come to know that their sins, too, are forgiven and that they can receive the same Spirit in their hearts to join the fellowship. Sadly, when the Holy Spirit leads a new believer from among the Gentiles into such gatherings, they are sometimes hindered from joining fully because they have not yet taken baptism—though baptism was never meant to be the condition for entering into the fellowship of believers.

Do Not Take Me Away

In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days. So I said: “Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. – Psalm 102:23-24 (NIV)

The Psalmist had pleaded with God not to take him away in the midst of his days. Among us, who knows how long we are going to live, and with that, how could we say we are in the midst of our earthly life? Our breath is in His hand, and He decides our days in this fallen world. It is ridiculous to understand how mortal man pleads with God not to take him away when He is actually embracing him and including him in His Kingdom. A prayer not to take us away shows our attachment to this fallen world, and we do not want to go with God when He calls. Yet we think that we have presented ourselves to Him whenever He called and directed us to do His ministry.

Remarkably God does not want to take us away when still we are sinners, but He calls us home, when He made us righteous with the righteousness of His Son. Till then, Jesus Himself praying God not to take us away but to protect us from the evil one (John 17:15). Because God is not pleased with the death of sinners (Ezekiel 33:11).

Living In The Presence Of God

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.
The children of your servants will live in your presence;
their descendants will be established before you. – Psalm 102:25-28 (NIV)

The Psalmist recognized the Alpha and the Omega—the One who was, who is, and who will be forever, with this same name as God introduced Himself in the Revelation to John. Though God created all things and nothing exists apart from Him, all His creation will one day wear out like a garment. As Paul reminds us, the things that are seen are temporary, but the unseen truths are eternal. Our unseen God is everlasting. In the beginning, He created man in His image to share in eternal life. When mankind lost that life, God sent His Son, full of life, so that through Him we might receive life again and live with our Father forever.

Our Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help us not to dwell on our own pain and problems, but to lift our eyes to You and recognize Your unfailing love and care. Grant us the wisdom to understand Your will and Your plans, so that we may hold fast to Your grace and walk in the salvation that leads to eternal life. Amen.