Day 23 Praying Our Way to Pentecost

DAY 23
Monday, May 23, 2022

Psalm 116:1-2
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

Scripture Insights
One of my favorite songs, written by my friend Dr. Terry Toler, is titled “He Still Speaks.” What a great thought: God speaks to us; we can know his voice.
But what is equally amazing is that God listens. The psalmist powerfully reminds us that the Lord “heard my voice” (Ps. 116:1).
This psalm is a beautiful reminder that God hears us. How did the psalmist discover this? In the psalmist’s cry for mercy, God heard. He heard, not when the psalmist deserved it, not when the psalmist had earned a listen, not in the psalmist’s goodness, but when the psalmist cried for mercy.
Many translations say, “He inclined his ear to me” (e.g., NRSV). The NLT says, “He bends down to listen.” What a beautiful picture of the Lord being so hungry to hear from us. A reading of the complete psalm tells us that the psalmist discovers on multiple occasions that it was good to pray. Let us be reminded today that in each of life’s seasons and situations, the Lord is bending down to hear our prayers.

Today’s Prayer
Lord, we give you thanks for a listening ear. You hear our cry of confession, our pleas for help and healing, our prayers of adoration and thanksgiving. May your church rise up as a mighty army of prayer as we seek your direction.

Prayer Journal Reflections
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you today about the Lord’s protection, direction, and revelation for your life and the life of the church?
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—Greg Mason, District Superintendent, North Carolina