“I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” (Psalm 143:6-8)
It is not enough that we talk to God. Prayer must be a two-way street: He hears from us; we hear from Him.
Our spirit is often overwhelmed. We are perplexed and at a loss to know what to do. We don’t even know how to think about a matter. Perhaps we are so troubled that we cannot speak (Ps. 77:4). Or, our heart is so full that we have to pour it out before Him (Ps. 62:8). Either way, we cannot leave things there. After He has heard from us, we must hear from Him. We must at that point be all ears.
David knew he needed God guidance. The Lord was his shepherd leading him in paths of righteousness (Ps. 23:3). His prayer was: “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day” (Ps. 25:4.5) God may hear our voice in the morning, but we should be open to hear from Him all day long.
Each day has its share of evil. God wants us to call upon Him in the day of trouble. Sometimes, our failure to hear from God is what got us into trouble in the first place. He can help us even at that point, but we have to put on a fresh pair of ears, and pray: “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble” (Ps. 143:10,11). God forbid we add one wrong turn to another. Today is the day to hear His voice, and get back on the right track.
We desperately need God’s wisdom to navigate the waters of our life. Would we know what to do at any juncture? What is our hope of not making a horribly wrong turn, either in our mind or with our feet? Our only hope is that we hear from God.
Get alone with the God of your salvation. He is a refuge to all who put their trust in Him. If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Pray: “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.”