Psalm 17:6 (NKJV) I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
One of the greatest blessings of being a Christian is that the God of Creation hears us when we speak to Him. Have you ever really sat and soaked in that fact?
As finite humans, sometimes we can only come close to understanding a spiritual truth is by comparing it to something we can grasp about our own existence. So think with me for a moment about this:
- Who would you consider the most important person alive today?
- Who would you consider the most powerful person alive?
- Who would you consider the most Godly person alive?
- Who is the one person, alive or not, that you would like most to speak with?
Now imagine that you have a set of telephones in a private office, each having a direct line to one of these four persons. You can pick up a phone anytime, and that person has promised to stop everything they are doing, and talk with you.
Would you not be on those phones daily? Would you not be constantly eager to pick them up? Would you not consider it a wonderful blessing to have this privilege?
Well, you see where I’m going with this. It’s a feeble attempt at comparing a phone line to men with a spiritual line to God. But if you can imagine in your own heart the excitement of being able to contact the four persons you named, maybe it will help you to begin to cultivate the same excitement for knowing that the King of the Universe is waiting on the line for you… you just have to get “on the line”.
God hears. Think of it. The Creator, the King of Kings, the Almighty, the Eternal God, Ruler of Heaven and Earth listens to YOU…. little, pitiful, unimportant you. You! who would probably have a hard time getting the local mayor to talk to you. You! who would find it virtually impossible to get 5 minutes with the President of your country. You! who can’t even get some bureaucrat down at a government office to give you the time of day!
Yet you have the honor and privilege of speaking directly to God; anytime you want; as often as you want; about anything you want; and He listens intently as if you were the only person in existence.
How often do you avail yourself of this privilege? Does it excite you? Is it real to you? Scripture confirms undoubtedly that God hears, listens and responds when you speak to Him:
- Psalm 38:15 (NKJV) For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.
- Psalm 20:6 (NKJV) Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.
- Psalm 118:5 (NKJV) I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
- Psalm 6:9 (NKJV) The LORD has heard my supplication; The LORD will receive my prayer.
- Psalm 28:6 (NKJV) Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
- James 5:16 (NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NKJV) pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
God did not command us to pray constantly and diligently because He gets some sadistic pleasure out of ignoring us. The King of all Creation is waiting right now at this moment to hear you speak to Him. Does that mean anything to you today? Do have anything to say to Him?
Lord God, you hear this prayer. Instill in us greater understanding and realization of that fact. Open our cloudy spiritual eyes to see the depth of what it means to converse directly to the Master of the Universe. Amen.
Contemplation: Do you neglect your privilege to speak directly to the Most Important Person in the Universe? Why? Don’t you believe He is there? Don’t you believe God cares? Isn’t God trustworthy? Then why don’t you talk to him daily? Seems kind of silly doesn’t it?
Application: Our prayer life suffers because we don’t know God. It’s hard to talk to someone you don’t know. How do you get to know Him? Through His revealed Word (Bible), communication (prayer) and devotion (spending time with God).
- What is the most obvious Bible truth you have learned today?
- What change in your life needs to be made concerning this truth?
- What specific thing will you do today to begin that change?