O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! Psalms‬ ‭61‬:‭1‬

Have you ever been in a situation where you are trying to explain something to someone and you can tell by body language and other clues that they aren’t listening to you? Oh, they hear your words and see your lips moving, but the information is failing to make any inroads at all.

Or, perhaps you are like me. While I hate to admit it, there are times when I’m being talked to and my attention is elsewhere and I miss part, if not all of the message. You may even try to call the person out or even touch their shoulder and say something like “Are you hearing what I’m trying to tell you?”

Some people are hard of hearing. While they try to hear information, they simply can’t because of a physical disability. Must most of us, at least at some point in our lives, have a listening problem, not a hearing problem.

Do you ever feel like God is like that in your prayers? Do you ever want to say, as the Psalmist, “O God, listen to my cry! Here my prayer!” Notice the emotion in David’s words. In our 21st century vernacular it may come across as “ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? HELLO!”

Theologically speaking, we know God hears our prayers, but theology and practicality don’t always mix. I like this verse because it reminds me that I can be honest with God,

It reminds me that when my prayers don’t seem to get past the ceiling, I know they have been heard even though emotions tell me differently.

It encourages me to know that others struggle as I do, even King David, the ‘man after God’s own heart’!

Is your heart heavy in prayer today for a son or daughter, a struggling marriage, a past that seems to haunt you, fear of the future. Let your Father know how you REALLY feel. He can handle it and he may reward you for your honesty!