Prayer And Trials

Μὴ ἀποστῇς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι θλῖψες ἐγγὺς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ βοηθῶν.   Παρούσης θλίψεως συνὼν ὁ Θεὸς οἷός τέ ἐστιν καρτερίαν παρασχεῖν ὡς γενναιάζειν τὸν θλιβόμενον· ἀπόντος δὲ Θεοῦ ἰσχυρὰ τὰ περιεστηκότα. Εὖχεται οὖν ὁ τὸν ψαλμὸν λέγων, τύπος ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώπος γινόμενος, καὶ διδάσκων ἡμᾶς ἐν πειρασμοῖς, οὕτω προσεύχεται, μὴ τοιαῦτα αὐτῷ πραχθῆναι ἐφ' οἶς ἂν χωρῇ Θεὸς, ἵνα παρόντος Θεοῦ καταπαλαίσῃ τοὺς ἐγείροντας τὴν θλῖψιν· εἰ γὰρ ἀποσταίη τινὸς ὁ Θεὸς, οὐχ ὑπάρξει ἐκείνῳ βοηθός. Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εἰς Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμος ΚΑ' Source: Migne PG 39.1280b

'Do not withdraw from me, for tribulation is near, and I have no helper' 1 When God is near in tribulation, He gives constancy to be able to endure the tribulation, and with God absent, that which oppresses overwhelms. In the prayer of this Psalm, then, is given to us a type of man who teaches us in trials to pray, lest such things are done because of which God withdraws, so that with God present, those who are beset by tribulation are able to overcome it. For if God forsakes someone, there will be no-one to aid. Didymus the Blind, Commentary on the Psalms, from Psalm 21 1 Ps 21.12