Psalm 102: A Prayer for a Pandemic Period

Prayer is about bringing your requests before the Lord Almighty. When we pray, we can pray prayers of repentance, confession, supplication, and judgment. Whatever we pray, we can be assured that God hears our prayers. He can take even our silliest prayers and sanitize them, so they are free from sin. The Psalms are the easiest to pray because they embody human emotions like despair, victory, sorrow, joy, and pain. They can be used to lift our countries, nations, and cities. One specific Psalm that can be prayed in the first person is Psalm 102. Psalm 102 is a Psalm to pray in times of trials, precisely this pandemic period.

This Psalm was probably written during the Babylonian captivity and was written by someone who was afflicted. This Psalm is extremely relevant today as many of us have suffered afflictions as well. When you pray through Psalm 102, you can convert the words Zion and Jerusalem to reflect you and what you are praying for (Zion means people of God, so you can say “my people,” “our people,” or “your people” and Jerusalem or Israel represents your Country or City). You can change these verses into first-person and replace Jerusalem with your community: verses 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, and 23. Pray for people to encounter the Lord, especially as we have been isolated from each other during the pandemic. Pray that God will speak through you to reach your friends, family, and community. Prayer enables the power of God through the Holy Spirit and crushes the power of darkness. We can be channels of His power wherever we are, whether at our jobs, in our churches, our families, and as we invest in our cities.

Take time to pray through Psalm 102, even if it is just a few minutes a day. May you feel the power of the Holy Spirit as you pray for your City and Country.