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| “Hear my prayer, Lord…” |
| —Psalm 86:5-7 |
Do you ever try to talk with someone and wonder if they heard a word you said?
Recently I learned about a father who spoke at some length to his daughter. He poured out his heart to her and shared some very important observations. He spoke to encourage her and also to challenge her in a most loving way.
When she didn't seem to respond, he looked at her more closely. To his surprise and chagrin, he discovered she had earbuds in her ears and had not heard a single word he had said over the sound of the music from her iPod.
The Psalmist assures us that God is not at all like that young lady. He is always attentive to His dearly loved children. He hears us whenever we speak to Him in prayer.
Notice the words in these verses from Psalm 86:6a:
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.
We can begin a new day with prayer knowing that the God who loved us enough to send His one and only Son to die in our place will listen to us and answer us.
Yes, sometimes the answer is “not yet.” Sometimes the answer is “no.” Sometimes the answer is "“wait awhile, but keep asking.” Sometimes the answer is a great outpouring of His mercy, love, and grace—far more than we dared to ask.
But, God always hears and always answers. We can place our full trust in Him.
