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Day 158 Psalm 17:1 (A Prayer of David.) Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer that goes not out of feigned lips. 2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. 3 Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. 5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. 6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. 7 Show thy marvelous lovingkindness, O thou who saves by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those who rise up against them. 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, 9 From the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about. 10 They are enclosed in their own fat: with their mouth, they speak proudly. 11 They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; 12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. 13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: 14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fill with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. 15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Why do you pray? Everyone has struggles and needs answers. Everyone wants to believe God will hear their prayers. David knew God heard his prayers. He never pleaded with God to listen to him, even when he wondered where God was in his struggles. He knew God would answer him. As Christians, you spend more time pleading with God to answer your prayers than believing He will. You do everything you can to fix your problems before you resort to prayer. By then, you’re no longer willing to wait for an answer. You want immediate answers to your problems. When the answer isn’t forthcoming, you believe God doesn’t hear or care about your situation. Instead of using prayer as a last resort, start with prayer. David prayed, not in a panic, but knowing that no matter his situation, God heard him. He showed God his intentions and his righteousness. Was David perfect? No. No one is. Yet, he was a man after God’s heart, a man who spent his time in prayer, praising God for who He is, giving Him the credit for every victory over his enemies, and relying on God to come through the toughest situations. When you pray first, instead of last, you will see God working in your life. You won’t need to plead with God to answer you. You will know He will when the time is right. You might get an immediate answer, or you might wait for the answer. Whatever your situation, don’t discount God when He doesn’t answer right away. David knew God would answer. He said he would awake satisfied knowing God heard him. Let’s pray: Father, before I try to fix things on my own, help me bring my concerns to You. Give me patience, knowing that Your timing is best. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 17 November 2021 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay