PSALMS 145:18-19: “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” NKJV
OBSERVATION: Is there a reason some prayers are answered and some are not? Does your prayer life lack power? Do you feel that God is far away and is not attentive when you pray?
The Scriptures are filled with examples of men and women who cried out to the Lord and their prayers were answered. The Psalmist writes these great words of assurance,
- “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him…”
Throughout Scripture, we read about God’s willingness to hear and answer our prayers. Yet, these words of assurance and hope are not without any prerequisites. The Psalmist goes on to write,
- “To all who call upon Him in truth.”
It is not simply a call to call upon the Lord. We must call upon Him in truth. All of our life needs to be balanced with this principle. We cannot live our lives in whatever way we choose and then when we get into trouble simply call upon the Lord and expect Him to rescue us each and every time. Our life, our actions, and our prayers need to be grounded in our surrender to His truth.
Jesus, in His instructions on prayer, gives us a template of what it means to walk and live in truth.
Calling upon Him in truth begins with humility and worship.
- “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” Matthew 6:9 NKJV
Calling upon Him in truth is marked by a life surrendered to His will.
- “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 NKJV
Calling upon Him in truth is marked by a life of faith and trust in His provision.
- “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 NKJV
Calling upon Him in truth is marked by a life of repentance, forgiveness, and cleansing, and a heart that is willing to extend the same to others who offend us.
- “And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 NKJV
Calling upon Him in truth is marked by a life that is growing in victory over sin and the power of the enemy.
- “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one…” Matthew 6:13a NKJV
And, calling upon Him in truth is marked by a life of praise and confidence that looks for the fulfillment of all of His promises and the coming of His Kingdom!
- “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Matthew 6:13b NKJV
Jesus completely fulfilled all of these things in His life. He was fully man and fully God, without sin, and always doing what the Father called Him to do. Therefore, Jesus’ prayers were answered 100% of the time. When we think about this we can respond in two ways. We can become discouraged and think – “Then what chance do I have in having my prayers answered?” Or, we can see it as an example of a life fully surrendered to the Father and the fulfillment of God’s promise.
- “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.”
Another misconception that we can have about answered prayer is that it is a reward for our works. Prayer is not answered because we do things or become good enough. Prayer is answered when we align our lives with the purposes and will of God. God’s grace is like a waterfall. It is always flowing. His grace does not move or change. When we surrender to His will, when we choose to walk by grace through faith, we position ourselves under the provision of God’s mercy and grace. It is not because we did enough good things that we are rewarded. It is because we positioned our lives in faith – under His truth!
This is what John is intending to say in his epistle.
- “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” I John 5:14-15 NKJV
And, the Psalmist gives us one more assurance in this promise.
- “He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.”
Lord, this morning I want to position my life in truth. I want to surrender my life to The Truth – Jesus Christ my Lord. I want to live and walk in the fear of the Lord, to see Your desires become my desires, and to begin to live in fellowship with You through the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, hear my cry as I call upon You in truth!
In Jesus’ Name!
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