Psalm 65:2 You who answer prayer,
    to you all people will come.

The Psalm as a whole is a paean to God for His abundant provision in nature, which is a reminder that David was first of all a shepherd boy, long before he was a fugitive in the desert or a king on his throne. However, this line, right at the beginning of the Psalm, is very significant. Addressing God as “You who hear prayer” is important indeed. Just about everyone prays, in one way or another, but I think that for the majority of people there’s just the feeling of “I hope someone’s listening.” The assurance that David expresses in many of his Psalms comes from a relationship that requires humility and trust. From David’s viewpoint, of course all mankind will come to God, because He’s the one who hears our prayers! We don’t know who first fostered such faith in David as a child, but it seems obvious that he exercised that faith and allowed it to grow as a shepherd boy, giving him the courage to fend off wild animals that threatened his sheep, culminating in his famous encounter with Goliath. (1 Samuel 17) God didn’t answer all his prayers immediately, any more than He does ours, but David knew He was listening. We need to have that same assurance, trusting that God’s answers will be far wiser than we could come up with ourselves, and that He genuinely desires the very best for us. When we have that understanding, prayer is a joy and not an obligation, a privilege and not a duty.

As I have commented many times, in the home where I grew up, prayer was as natural as breathing. That was a very blessed environment! I developed the conviction, that continues even today, that God is aware not only of our prayers, but of everything we say and even think. One time I heard Him speak in what seemed like an audible voice, it was in response to what I was thinking, and not a conscious prayer! It has become a polite cliché to express “thoughts and prayers” in the face of tragedy, to the point that some people make fun of it. It’s true that for a lot of people it is essentially meaningless, but from someone who has a direct line to the Creator of the universe – which is available to us all – it is a powerful statement indeed. People need to know that God is indeed the One who hears prayer, and accordingly, come to Him with everything, both gratitude and requests.

Father, thank You indeed for the privilege of prayer. I’m concerned that I take it for granted sometimes. Thank You for the people who will be gathering here this morning for the express purpose of prayer. May all the prayers offered here, verbally or silently, be led by Your Spirit, so that Your grace and love and power may be manifested in and through us, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!