Psalms 88:15
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
Main message
Psalm 88:15 describes affliction and the nearness of death as a long-standing burden, accompanied by overwhelming terrors.
Meaning in context
Psalm 88:13–18 · Persistent prayer without resolution — The psalmist keeps crying to God while describing rejection, lifelong affliction, terror, and the loss of companions.
The lament broadens from a present crisis to suffering experienced over a long span of life. The verse resists easy explanations and underscores how chronic distress can exhaust a person’s inner resources.
Further teachings
Chronic suffering deserves truthful language
The psalm does not reduce long-term affliction to a quick lesson.
Cross References: Psalm 88:15.
Applications in daily life
- 1
Long-term affliction
Respond with patience, humility, and durable support rather than quick explanations.
Do not imply that long suffering persists because someone has failed spiritually.
Related Bible passages and resources
Common misreadings
Chronic suffering necessarily signals a persistent spiritual failure.
Psalm 88 gives chronic suffering a place in prayer without making that judgment.
How to Apply Psalms 88:15
Pray through Psalms 88:15 slowly, pausing at each phrase. Journal what God highlights regarding from Scripture. Commit to one concrete application over the next seven days, and revisit your notes at the end of the week to see how your perspective has shifted through the lens of this passage.
Sources & Method
Biblical text
Psalm 88:15 (en).
- Author:
- The Lord Will Editorial Team
- Reviewed by:
- Ugo Candido
- Last updated:
- Reviewed on: