Hearing God's Voice in the PsalmsSýnishorn

He Hears Me

“Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled.

O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.” (Psalm 65:1 - 2 NIV84)

So simple and so profound. Verse two begins with five easy words that can be read too quickly. They can be read with a passing acknowledgment but are worthy of a greater pause. These are the profound words of a seeking heart that found comfort in his pursuit of his holy God. These words are words of faith and hope. These are the words that inspired one more step, one more day, and one more prayer. To read them too quickly and pass over them with a slight acknowledgment would lead to the potential of missing the priceless and life-changing truth within them.

O you who hear prayer…

He, the God of All Things Created, the Most High God, the Sovereign God of the Impossible (Mark 10:27), hears your prayers. Every prayer offered in heartache, desperation, hope, or defeat is heard. Every syllable, every phrase, whether whispered or shouted, is heard. What could be more profound than the God of All Creation giving His attention to each person who would choose to pray to Him? The Spirit of God, the ultimate author of Psalm 65, inspired David the Psalmist to remind you that He hears you. Every word offered from your heart and lips to Him in a prayerful moment has a journey and a destination. They ascend into his hearing.

O you who hear prayer…

These holy words were written to you to assure you that when you pray, you are not speaking words into thin air. The Hearing God of the Psalmist is your Hearing God. As He heard the Psalmist, He hears you when you pray. When your voice grows faint because of the challenges you are enduring, He hears you loud and clear. There is no whisper so weak or prayer uttered in complete silence that falls short of His hearing. There is no prayer, no matter how repeated, that tires the hearing heart of your Savior. He welcomes your words of praise and words birthed out of hardship. On another occasion, the Psalmist wrote,

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. (Psalm 18:6)

O you who hear prayer…

You are omnipotent.

This means that He has unlimited power to respond to any prayer. When we pray, we are petitioning the very One who can do what no one else can do. Prayer is the pathway to the Almighty God. When we feel powerless in a moment, with prayer, we can exercise the most potent step available to us. As my pastor has said, “When we work, we work. When we pray, God works.” From my heart Praise awaits you, O God for you hear my prayers and can respond according to your sovereignty.

O you who hear prayer…

You are omniscient.

This means He knows every detail of the situations and challenges you lift to Him in prayer. He knows all there is to know. He knows the motives, the intentions, and every circumstance you have experienced and will experience. His awareness and understanding of your situation is clearly known to Him right down to the most minute detail. His knowledge of your best next steps is divinely perfect. As you pray and He responds with perfect knowledge and wisdom, you will say, “Praise awaits you, O God from my heart for you heard my prayers and responded in perfect guidance and direction.”

O you who hear prayer…

You are omnipresent.

This means He is present with you regardless of where you are or what is happening. A million voices can simultaneously pray a prayer; each is heard as if it were the only prayer. He is not just near you; He is present within you. And His presence can change everything. As you linger in His presence to voice your petition, His presence can touch your soul. The strength to endure and overcome is in His presence. Hope and faith rise in His presence. Stamina and perspective increase in His divine presence. When we pray, His presence will cause you to say, “Praise awaits you, O God, from my heart as you hear my prayers and make Yourself known to me.”

The Psalmist continues for eleven verses, reciting how His Hearing God had responded in his life journey. God heard, and God answered. If we neglect to do anything, let us never neglect to pray to our Hearing God. He inclines His ear to hear us. He desires to demonstrate His love to us. Jesus modeled for you and me the power of prayer. Over and over, by word and example, he encouraged the disciples to pray. When Jesus faced insurmountable odds, He prayed. When He faced difficult moments and people, He prayed. God the Father heard and responded.

My friend, God hears you. Every word you lift to Him in prayer is heard. A prayer can be spoken aloud, written on paper, or offered in silence. It can be short or long. You can pray with many at your side or none at all. It can be a plea for survival, a request to be favored, or a confession to be cleansed of guilt. The only criterion for a prayer to reach the ears of the Hearing God of Psalm 65 is faith in the God of Psalm 65. In faith, believe that God the Father desires to hear your voice and will respond according to His omniscience and omnipotence. He will make His response and presence (omnipresence) known according to the time in which it will best serve you.

Therefore, pray for He hears you.

Pray so that you can proclaim that Praise awaits you, O God.