What does "You who listen to prayer" reveal about God's character? Scripture Focus “O You who listen to prayer, to You all people will come.” (Psalm 65:2) Setting the Scene • Psalm 65 celebrates God’s goodness in creation and redemption. • Verse 2 anchors the entire psalm: before David extols harvests and forgiveness, he proclaims that God listens. Everything else flows from that reality. What “You Who Listen to Prayer” Reveals about God • Personal and Relational – God is not an impersonal force; He welcomes direct conversation. – Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know.” • Attentive and Alert – “Listen” implies active, ongoing attention, not occasional interest. – Psalm 34:15: “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.” • Accessible to All – “To You all people will come” underscores universal invitation. – 1 Timothy 2:3-4: God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” • Compassionate and Merciful – He hears even before words are formed. – Isaiah 65:24: “Before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” • Faithful and Consistent – God’s listening ear is a covenant promise, not a mood-dependent gesture. – 1 John 5:14: “This is the confidence we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Seeing the Trait in Jesus • Jesus embodies the Father’s listening heart (John 14:13-14; Hebrews 7:25). • Hebrews 4:15-16 invites us to “approach the throne of grace with confidence,” because the Son, our High Priest, guarantees the Father’s ear. Our Response • Confidence in Prayer – Approach God expecting to be heard, not ignored. – Philippians 4:6-7 connects prayer to peace that “surpasses all understanding.” • Continual Dependence – Because He listens, we bring every circumstance to Him (1 Thessalonians 5:17). • Worship and Gratitude – Praise naturally follows the assurance that the Creator bends down to hear His creatures (Psalm 66:19-20). Living It Out • Begin and end each day acknowledging His attentive presence. • Keep a record of answered prayers to remember His faithfulness. • Let the certainty of His listening shape how you speak to others—mirror His attentive love. |
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