Monday 1st November 2021
LISTEN TO ME, O LORD
Scripture Reading: Psalm 5
Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. Psalm 5:1-2
The psalmist begins Psalm 5 with a direct appeal to God. You get the impression that this is an urgent prayer. Unlike many of the formulas we have for prayer, this psalm does not start with thanksgiving, praise, and worship. The psalmist goes straight to the point.
Sometimes, we do the same in prayer. There is a place for the protocols we are familiar with in prayer. But there are also moments when pressing concerns move us to bypass the usual known steps and share with God what is on our hearts. He mercifully accepts both approaches.
The phrases used show us three ways in which David brought his requests to the Lord. He owns each one as his prayer to the Lord.
• My words. David prayed to the Lord, using clear understandable words. He asked the Lord to give ear to his clearly articulated requests. This shows the importance of our words in prayer.
• My meditations. David prayed to the Lord, using his thoughts and sighs. He called on the Lord to consider what he does not say with his words. This psalm shows us that the Lord perceives our intentions in prayer even when no words come out of our mouths.
• My cry. David prayed to the Lord, with loud sounds of agony. These were outbursts filled with emotions that were more intense than words and meditations. He called on the Lord to listen to his cry for help.
David employed all three – words, meditations, and cries – in his prayers to God. He teaches us that we can similarly present our requests to God, and we will be heard.
David addressed the Lord as my King and my God. This was the first time that God was addressed as a King in the Psalms. It establishes Him as ruler over our world and for David, as the ruler over his life.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are my God and King. Listen to my prayer, hear the cry of my soul and help me. In Jesus name, Amen.
