Yodh: The Praying Man

In the previous stanza, the Psalmist reflected on the good that occurred in his life because of the affliction he endured. In this stanza, he declares explicitly that it was Yahweh who afflicted him. If this was the will of God, then the Psalmist didn't want to miss the opportunity to make the most of it. In the Yodh stanza, we find a series of prayers in a chiastic structure giving four specific areas in which to pray as we endure times of trial, so that we might mature in our faith through the difficult times.