Quest for Hope
God Answers Prayer 2-22-16
Psalm 65:1-5
On Saturday, we found great hope in our understanding that Christ’s sacrifice was enough; Jesus paid in full for our sins. Today, in our quest for hope we will focus on the God who answers prayer.
Psalm 65:1-5 “What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple. You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our Savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.”
If we really understand the heart of God, we know He desires to answer our prayers. The thing that holds us back is we do not ask; we feel hesitate that God would listen or even care for our concerns and the needs we present when our lives are clearly not flawless. Sometimes we are overwhelmed with a multitude of sins in thought, word, and deed and wrestle to overcome shame. But, who is flawless in sin? Jesus. God answers our prayers, because when we ask, the Father sees and hears His Son, Jesus, interceding for us. In fact, I will go so far as to say when we ask the Father, believing by faith in the Son’s forgiving love demonstrated on the cross, God has already answered them by the Spirit. We draw near and wait for the Father’s will to be made known to us. We all have access to the Father, because of Jesus. Draw near to the Father and ask Him to provide for your spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. He delights in taking care of His children.
Prayer: Father, thank you for listening to and answering my prayers. I am so grateful for the interceding work of my Savior, Jesus. Thank you for loving me, providing for my needs, healing my body, encouraging me with spiritual truths, and wanting the very best for me. I will continue to draw near to you each day in prayer to reach for your help in my life. You are the perfect Father! In Jesus’ name. Amen.