Psalms 65:2-3 O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.  When we were overwhelmed by sins,you forgave our transgressions.

The fact that God hears prayer is of extraordinary importance. As it says here, “all flesh” seeks such a One. The thing is, so many people don’t know to whom to pray, or they pray to the wrong things. In Japan, many people pray to their ancestors. (The current trappings of that practice are Buddhist, but the concept is Confucian, and is not found in early Buddhist teaching.) Actually, the same sort of thinking is found in the Catholic practice of praying to assorted saints. Even if such people could hear and answer, which seems a stretch and certainly isn’t supported by the Bible, why do it when we are specifically told to pray to the Creator, who not only made all those people but who loves us individually? (John 16:26-27) And then there are the great numbers of people who know to whom to pray, but they just don’t do it. Many things could contribute to that. Some people seem to think, “That’s too small to bother God with.” Jesus said the Father even keeps track of how many hairs we have on our heads! (Matthew 10:30) Others even seem to think they don’t need God’s help. They certainly don’t have a realistic grasp of their situation! The devil uses these and other things to discourage prayer, because the last thing he wants is people who are in regular, intimate communication and fellowship with God. Verse 3 here brings up an extremely important point. Failure to recognize guilt will keep us from recognizing our need for God. Failure to understand and believe that He does and will forgive will make us run from Him instead of turn to Him. We need to acknowledge that we are weak and foolish, doing the wrong things even more than we are aware, but that He is both love and holiness, and through Christ He will forgive and restore all who will repent and believe. (1 John 1:9)

This is, of course, the story of my own life and the pattern of my ministry. I have had to learn that in Christ I really am forgiven, so sin no longer has power over me. That makes me very quick to turn to prayer. Sometimes I can do it openly, but sometimes I just have to pray in my heart. As a pastor, my highest desire for people is that they enjoy the level of intimacy with God that I do, and even more, but I am continually amazed, frustrated, and saddened by how little people pray. I want them to understand that since God knows our thoughts, if we would just be aware of that and direct them to Him, we would be praying! So many people make prayer out to be some mystical, difficult thing, when it is nothing more than a child talking to their Father. Every other part of Christian living is based on the foundation of prayer. If they neglect the foundation, how can they expect success in the rest of it?

Father, I had wondered what You wanted me to speak about this Sunday! Thank You for this clear, vital message. I ask for Your clear guidance and anointing both in the preparation and the delivery, so that Your Word may have its full work in each heart and life, cutting through all the lies of the enemy and drawing people into the relationship with You that You desire, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!