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The River ChurchSermons

Praying Through Suffering

Patrick Bicknell · Sunday, 2 August 2026 · 34:28 · 5,380 words

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Focusing on Psalm 142, the sermon explores how to pray when life is filled with pain. It shows David crying out to God from a cave, pouring out his complaint and trusting that God sees, hears and cares for him. The preacher urges listeners to bring every anxiety to God, to view him as their only refuge, and to pray boldly even when relief seems distant. He reminds the audience that God’s grace sustains us through suffering and that prayer deepens faith and points us toward eternal hope.

What this sermon is about

Ranked by keyness against every other sermon in the corpus. Each one is a word this sermon actually said — nothing here was written by a model.

suffer 29 distress 14 david 31 prayer 21 cave 12 psalm 28 car 17 king 15 refuge 10 cry 11 complaint 6 mask 5

Topics

Suffering 9 Prayer 9 Sin 1 Grace 1 Israel 1 The Wrath of God 1 The Gospel 1

Scripture referenced 20

Verified against the transcript. A reference the recording does not support is never listed here.

Psalms 142 0:09 Psalms 142 0:09 Psalms 142 0:40 Psalms 1 0:59 Psalms 142 2:45 Psalms 142:1-2 3:34 Psalms 57 4:23 Psalms 142 11:29 Psalms 142 15:48 Psalms 142:3 15:48 Psalms 142:3 16:21 Jeremiah 17 19:07 Matthew 26:38-39 21:04 Psalms 142 21:38 Matthew 26 22:46 Matthew 26:31 22:46 Psalms 142 25:28 Psalms 142:5-7 25:28 Psalms 142 29:02 2 Corinthians 12 29:37

Transcript

Every word, as spoken, with the second it was said. Each word links to its own entry in the index.

Good morning again everybody. So thankful to be able to open the word with you guys today. We are

in Psalm chapter 142. So if you have your Bible go to Psalm 142 and I mean I just got I'm a little

excited if you look in the back of the chairs the Bibles will now match what is on the screen and

what translation I am reading out of. So please use those Bibles. They're brand new people all

right. Let's break them in. Let's let's ruin those binds a bit. But feel free to grab one of those

Bibles behind the chairs. If you need one to take home, take it home. We'll get some new ones. That's

a good problem to have. But you can follow along with us in those Bibles or on the screen. We're

in Psalm chapter 142. We only got two more weeks of the Psalms series which is crazy because it

feels like it's been forever and it also feels like we just started. But it has been a long time

in the Psalms series. So a few more weeks and we'll move into our new series that I'm excited for.

We're in Psalm chapter 1.

42. And today I want to talk about how do we pray in the midst of suffering? How do we pray when we

are going through struggles in our life? And I've thought about this because sometimes in the Psalms

it can feel a bit repetitive. Like we're talking about struggles and struggles and struggles. What

do we do in the midst of it? How do we handle this? And I feel like something that we haven't

quite hit on yet as much as we should have is prayer. How do we pray when we are going through

those hard times? And it's funny I say that because even though it is really the most important

thing for us to do when we go through a struggle. It's really the most important thing for us to do

as we are going through suffering is to immediately go to God in prayer. Even though that is probably

the most important thing. What happens a lot of the times? And I'll be the first one to raise my

hand. We forget. I think of myself when I stress as much as I should pray and go to God. I think of myself

I just like all of that gets thrown out of the window for some reason. I just forget it all. And

what I will do when I stress and I'm going through a hard time. I kind of like close in on myself and

I do nothing. Right? So all the projects that begin to like stress me out. Everything going on in my

head. I begin to overthink and get overwhelmed and I just don't do anything. And I forget to go to God

in prayer. Maybe for you it's stress eating. Maybe you run to drugs and alcohol. But we're always

running to all these different things that are we think are our refuge when really our one refuge

is God. You need to go to him in prayer.

And Charles Spurgeon says Psalm 142 teaches us principally by example how to order our prayer

in times of distress. Such instruction is among the most needful practical and effectual parts

of our spiritual education. He who has learned to pray has been taught the most useful of the arts

and sciences. With that note let's pray and then we'll dive into the word. Lord we love you.

Please be with us this morning. Teach us your word. Pray that you would speak through me.

Penetrate hearts in here. Help us to worship you. God we love you so much. We pray this all in the

very precious name of Jesus. Amen. So Psalm 142 verses 1 to 2 it says this. With my voice I cry

out to the Lord. With my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him.

I tell my trouble before him. So what is happening?

Here in this psalm this is one of two what we call cave psalms within the book of psalms. Now the

reason we call it a cave psalm is because David is the author of this and it's ascribed to him

in the cave. So it took a lot of studying for me to know that right? But it's one of those psalms

where David in his story where he is in the cave hiding from Saul where he writes down these psalms.

There's only two psalms that we get of that. It's this psalm and Psalm 57. But if you're not

familiar with the story of David I want to give that context.

Because it really is so important for us to know what the Holy Spirit's trying to teach us

out of this psalm. So the story of David it goes David is anointed king of Israel as he's the

shepherd boy. All right so God says I am removing the kingdom from Saul. I have found a man who's

after my own heart going to install a new king. And so he sends Samuel the prophet to the house

of Jesse. And so what happens is Jesse knows this is coming so he gets all his best boys puts them

on and he says choose which one you want. It's the strong ones, the firstborn, everyone that you

would think would be the next king in this house he puts before Samuel. And each one nope not him,

nope not him, nope not him. Because God doesn't look on the outward appearance he looks on

the inside. And so all the boys he says no and Samuel goes is this all the boys you have? And

there's one. It's attending to the sheep out back. So he brings in the shepherd boy and God says

this is the one.

Anoints him as the next king of Israel. Promises to him that he will be ruling. He will be the king

the man after God's own heart. Now real quick before we get in the rest of his story

briefly. I truly think that this is such a picture of our walks as believers. Because David is

anointed king of Israel but not in that exact moment does he become the king. And I've always

read that story and wondered why is he anointed king if he doesn't just walk into the palace and

say I'm going to be king of Israel. I'm going to be king of Israel. I'm going to be king of Israel.

Right? God says this will happen to you and for us as followers of Christ what's our hope? One day

we're going to be in eternity with God forever. We got the best promise that could ever be given

to anybody. Better than becoming king. We know what is coming to us but it's not yet. And as we

look at our life all the struggle and the suffering we go through. David all the struggle and suffering

that he went through. Even though he's anointed as king God does not tell him hey guess what?

Life's going to be easy for you from here on out. Blessings upon blessings upon blessings are

coming to you. And we're never promised that as Christians. We're never promised our life is

always marked by health, wealth, prosperity, comfort, easiness. That's not our promise. And please don't

hear from me in this psalm as many preachers will try and do. That you know what yes we do have to

go through this but you may just be in your season in the cave. Your season of royalty is coming right

after this. So just hold on tight. David was in the cave but then he went to royalty. And that's

what we just got to wait for because it's going to work out exactly how you want it. And everything's

going to be exactly what you want. That's not our promise either. For some of us our suffering our

struggle may last our entire life. But our promise is a greater and future promise. Our promise is

going to happen and it is not in this world. We go through this. We go through suffering for his name

and we do it with joy because we know one day because Christ has died for our sins.

Jesus has gone on the cross has taken our sins was buried and rose again so we know forever our

promises that we will be with him for eternity. Come what may in this life. David's life is such

a picture of believers. But as we keep reviewing David's life after he is anointed he ends up in

Saul's court singing songs to him. Helping him with what we see is they say troubled spirits

whatever that may be with maybe headaches something like that singing him songs.

And we know the great story he slays Goliath. One of my favorite stories in the Bible and he has one

of my favorite lines. As Goliath is challenging the entire armies of Israel everyone's afraid

and David goes what are we doing? We're going to allow this uncircumcised Philistine defy the

armies of the living God? All these warriors are afraid. He goes I got on my side. Takes the stones

walks out there slings it right at him slays Goliath. And after that goes on to become one of

Saul's best friends. And David goes on to become one of Saul's best friends. And David goes on to become

one of Saul's best generals. And we get kind of a comical song that the people start to sing.

They say Saul killed his thousands but David his ten thousands. Now I'll be honest with you I'm the

king. A little irritated too right? Let's be real we gotta be honest today as church we don't gotta

put those masks on. Where if we're king and all of a sudden my general we're ascribing him

ten thousand with me a thousand what's going on? And rightfully it leads Saul to jealousy.

Or what we would imagine would happen. And that's when Saul makes up in his mind he's going to

forsake God. As he's done many times before this moment too. But then he starts to seek

David's life because he's jealous for his throne. And then David goes on the run for years evading

Saul. Running from his threats. There's a period of time when Saul gets close finds out where David

is. And so David and his men run to the one place they have left which is in to a cave in the

desert. And so David and his men run to the one place they have left which is in to a cave in the

desert. And this is where we get David in this psalm. Hiding in a cave fearful for his life. And

this is where we get the beautiful words where David says with my voice I cry out to the Lord. I

plead to the Lord. Now what's really cool as I was studying this week is the imagery here that

David is writing is more to his face I pour out my complaint. Literally meaning to God's face I

pour out the complaint and the anguish that my heart is in. And it is such a wonderful declaration

because it shows that David knows how close God is to him in his moments of distress. David doesn't

say those words if he believes God is just distant and passive in the world and is far from

him. David says this here in Psalm 142 because he knows and believes that he's able to approach God

to his face almost with this imagery and lay out his heart because he knows God cares for him. It

made me think about you know when you share with someone story something interesting that happened

with you in the day something you're excited about and you can tell pretty instantly they

don't really care right. You see on their face and you're sharing it tell me that doesn't deflate

you more than anything. I'm not going to keep sharing the story and you just get out of it

really quick. It happens to me pretty often. I'm the one that usually gets zoned out and so my wife

we make this joke I tell I've told her listen it's it's me a hundred percent me. What happens is I

link it to you know that toy the monkey toy the symbols just in my head sometimes the monkey just

shows up. I don't know what to do. It just starts clanging on his symbols. Most times my sister-in-laws

are talking not you Elaine but but that's just I don't know that's the way it happens and so she'll

look at me she'll go you weren't paying attention where are you and I'm like babe the monkey I

started all right hidden maybe it's 80 my ADHD I don't know something like that but you know right

away you're like this this person doesn't really care to hear me but David says I I bring it to

his face because God cares that much because God cares more than what anyone around us can or will

make you think of these verses like first Peter five seven casting all your anxieties on him

because he cares for you like this is what it means to bring our complaints before his face

and what it's talking about is not just like rumbling and gossiping but it's this

heartfelt pouring out to God giving our anxieties to him all of them because he cares for us. I think

of exodus three seven and I heard a pastor preach on this years ago it was so wonderful exodus

three seven he says then the Lord said I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are

in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters I know their suffering and he taught

on this and it really just changed so many things for me he mentioned those three words in this

verse seen heard no and he says what's a wonderful as God is speaking to Moses in the burning bush

here he says that

I see the struggle my people are going through I have heard their cries and the injustice that

is happening against them and I know what is going on and this is so far beyond just God

having knowledge of everything and being everywhere this is an intimate knowledge

that we talked about last week that God has for his people and now we may say well why did he

wait hundreds of years when the people were in slavery we don't always have all those answers

but I think what we're given here when we see God sees us

hears us knows us is that's all that we really need we aren't ever going to be given exactly how

things are going to work out we are going to be given every single step and every single thing

of how God is going to work it out in our life because it's no longer faith at that point but

we are told God sees us hears us knows us he is sovereign in control he loves you he cares for you

and that is all that we need that is what will sustain us through any suffering and any struggle

and that's why we pray why do we bring our

prayers to God our anxieties to God our cares to God why does David here pour out to his face

because he knows God cares for him and that's what we need to see this morning why we pray

and continuing on in verse 3 of Psalm 142 he says when my spirit faints within me you know my way

in the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me look to the right and see there is none

who takes notice of me no refuge remains to me no one cares for me I know God cares for me I know

cares for my soul now as David is continuing to pour out his heart to God we see the real distress

that he is in and in verse 3 I think we are reminded really before he shares exactly what's

going on we are reminded what is real even when our feelings are deceiving us we're reminded what

the truth is even when our feelings on a situation our feelings within distress and struggle are

trying to deceive us because as he's crying out to God we see how he's feeling that my spirit is

fainting within me literally all the strength to the core of my being is gone these people are

hiding traps me they're doing all these things he's laying his heart out to God this is how I

feel but what's he say you know my way and so they're just that they're feelings and so in the

midst of how his heart is making him feel he says the truth God knows my way even though all else

may be gone even though I'm not going to be able to do it I'm going to be able to do it I'm going to

do it even though everyone has abandoned me God is here with me and just a little side note as we

were talking about prayer what we should see here is that God wants you to be real God doesn't want

you to put on the mask the way most of us do when we come to church how you doing oh great doing

wonderful life's falling apart but you know what I gotta put that smile on for my people Sunday

morning right God wants us to pour out all of our anxieties to him he wants us to be real and

where that leads us to then if we're real with God the sovereign of the universe

the all-knowing all-powerful creator of the universe if we can be real with him we should

be able to be real with each other take the mask off with the most important being in the world

when we come to us we should be able to be the most loving people where we take the mask off

share our cares and get help from brothers brothers and sisters in Christ that's just a

side note though but he says they're they're hiding traps for me none take notice of me

no refuge remains no one cares for my soul he's laying out what he's feeling in these moments

and I said to a question here you ever felt this way if we are being real we're taking the mask off

it's pretty much all the time we go through struggle and suffering and distress this is how

we feel no one cares for me they've hidden a trap for me there is no one that cares there's no refuge

for my soul what do we do when we're starting to feel this way we need to be able to recognize that

it's a lie and it's our heart leading us astray Jeremiah 17 9 the heart is deceitful about

all things and desperately sick who can understand it we have to be able to not just follow our

feelings in these moments that's why it's so important for our lives to be rooted and founded

on the scriptures that is why as Christians we cannot allow our walks to only be one hour a week

on a Sunday that is why when we say reach gather grow is a whole life thing it is not just to have

cool posters and signs out in the back it is because it is essential for us to be able to

for us as followers of Christ to be gathering with the saints for encouragement for building up it is

essential for us to be a part of growth communities weekly so that we can be learning the word being

with other believers being in fellowship that's why it's essential for us to reach the world

take the gospel when you share the gospel it strengthens your faith in it that is why it's

so important for us to be founded on the truth and to pray the truth and to call out the truth

in the midst of lies

to not allow our hearts to deceive us but then something else we see here i think is really

impactful we really see Christ here in verses three to four and as i mentioned many times as

we read the psalms and really all the scriptures we need to center it on Christ it's all about him

gospel it is foundational it is all about Jesus so we see him here where he says my spirit faints

within me there's a trap for me no one is around it makes me think about Jesus's

the night of his betrayal in Matthew chapter 26 verses 38 to 39 they say this then he said to them

my soul is very sorrowful even to death remain here watch with me and going a little farther

he fell on his face and he prayed saying my father if it be possible let this cup pass from me

nevertheless not as i will but as you will and this is such a good mirror here to psalm 142 3 and 4

David says my spirit faints and we read our Lord saying my soul is very sorrowful and when we read

in the gospels that he is in such anguish is that he begins to sweat blood that his pores literally

begin to open up so wide from the stress of what he's about to go through taking the full cup of

God's divine wrath for our sin a physically brutal death he literally begins to sweat

blood within the distress that he's feeling David says they have hidden the trap for me

and what do we know about Jesus Jesus Judas his friend who has followed him who has seen him do

the miracles betrays him for 30 pieces of silver no one takes notice of me no one cares what we

see on that night his other friends they leave they abandon him and Jesus says it's going to

happen a few verses earlier verse 31 in Matthew 26 then Jesus said to them you will all fall away

because of me tonight for it is written i will strike the shepherd and the

sheep of the flock flock will be scattered when we look at the distress here that David is feeling

to the nth degree Jesus felt it for us and a commentary i read it put it so great says i am

brought very low reaches its fulfillment in Gethsemane when Jesus cries out my soul is very

sorrowful even to death Christ went through that for you for me so when we think of our suffering

as much as it's important to us we need to think of our suffering as much as it's important to us

to think about how do we pray what do we do in suffering let us also look to Christ our savior

who he went through suffering the beating the scourging the wrath the divine wrath that was

meant to be poured out on us Jesus took it the perfect sinless son of God he who knew no sin

became the very thing he hated so that we could become the righteousness of God

Jesus went through the suffering so that we could walk free Jesus went through the distress so that

we could have new life when we think about the suffering that we go through let us look to him

who suffered in the greatest way so that we could be free who suffered in the greatest way and showed

us what to do in those moments because what did Jesus do in the greatest hour of his suffering

he prayed and his prayer is so powerful father let this cup pass from me if it be possible

but nevertheless not as i will your will be done how often our suffering it's lord just end this

my will do what i want and as hard as it is in those moments when suffering is having us

all we want is for it to end i'm right there with you but above that we need to pray lord let your

will be done however you need to use this to build me up however you need to use this to strengthen

my faith however you need to use this suffering i'm going through for your glory god let that

happen that's our prayer and then verses five to seven of psalm 142 i cry to you oh lord i say you

are my refuge my portion in the land of living attend to my cry for i am brought very low

deliver me from my persecutors for they are too strong for me bring me out of prison that i may

give thanks to your name the righteous will surround me for you will deal bountifully with

me so as david says i pour my complaint to god to his face he shares what he is feeling he shares

what he is going through he then gives us what he prays but jesus says i pour my complaint to god to

him but do you notice here we don't see the deliverance in this song david's still in the

cave and all his prayers are present tense i cry attend to me deliver me bring me out what we see

in these moments is the prayers in our distress that save us that strengthen us we don't always

see what the outcome is going to be and that sometimes makes prayer even harder but what we

see in those moments of distress is that it leads us to the one place that has always been

there there's only one refuge it has never been the other things we always run to it has never

been shutting down it has never been drugs and alcohol it has never been food it has never been

another person in those moments when we pray god deliver me i cry out attend to me we say

you are my refuge it reveals to us he's always been there he's the only one we need to run to

in the distress not once we're out not once we're delivered but god while i am in the

hardest situation of my life lord you are my refuge deliver me since we are in christ we're

able to pray these prayers boldness because jesus has risen again because he has overcome our

greatest enemy and because we are in christ the same way christ wasn't abandoned when he was going

to the cross the same way god raised him from the dead did not let his holy one see corruption

so he'll do the same for us first and foremost in the main way salvation

our greatest point of suffering is our sin and christ has delivered us from it amen jesus has

delivered us from our sin our greatest point of suffering and in all of our other struggles in

life we know it may not work on this side of heaven it may not be exactly how we want it to be

but one day god will restore all things and we will be with him forever with no more tears and

no more pain and no more struggle and so we have hope in these moments and we can pray boldly in

those moments deliver me attend to me

cry and we can know he cares for us it is in these prayers like david in psalm 142 when the

holy spirit moves and we truly understand what it means for god to be our refuge it doesn't mean the

struggles are immediately taken away the suffering is immediately gone but it does mean we will get

the strength and the grace that we need to endure it all second corinthians 12 9 and 10 is what i

thought of immediately paul

pleads with god to remove this thorn in his flesh whatever that was and paul says but he said to me

my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness therefore i will boast

all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of christ may rest upon me for the sake of

christ then i am content with weaknesses insults hardships persecutions and calamities for when i

am weak then i am strong when we

pray in the midst of suffering when we pray through the distress it doesn't always mean it's

going to work out how we want it but it does always mean you will get the grace to be sustained

and to make it through and to wrap up i just wanted to sit on verse 7 again real quick because

i think it's so wonderful just bring me out of prison that i may give thanks to your name this

is what we are meant to do in our suffering this is what our prayers are meant to teach us

they're meant to center it on god

everything is for his glory and it is all to give thanks to his name and as we pray through

suffering it teaches us a way to focus on what really matters god how is he going to get glory

in this what is his will in this how can i as hard as it may be and with tears in my eyes pray not

my will your will be done as our lord and savior did what is it meant to do to build us up in these

moments how is our faith going to be strengthened through this prayer and how is it going to be

strengthened through this suffering and how am i going to be able to help someone else out later on

who goes through something similar virgin says it so wonderfully caves make good closets for prayer

their gloom and solitude are helpful to the exercise of devotion had david prayed as much

in his palace as he did in his cave he might never have fallen into the act which brought such

misery upon his later days as that suffering that struggle comes don't let our feelings lead us

astray to think god doesn't care for you god doesn't love you don't allow those lies to overcome

you rather let it lead you further into prayer deeper into devotion and be able to say as james

one two through four says count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds

for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and let steadfastness

have its full effect they may be perfect and complete lacking in you

and nothing let that be our prayer in times of distress to lean and trust on god to strengthen

our faith let's pray lord we love you i thank you so much for psalms like these that are real

that are raw that are emotional and we challenge us in what we are going through but i pray that

your holy spirit would reveal to our hearts how we can be strengthened in our devotion of prayer

to you how we can run to you in prayer in times of distress how

we can pray the truth of the gospel the truth of your scripture to be sustained through everyone

but we love you we thank you and we lift all this up in the very precious name of jesus

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