A Multitude of Mercies

I don't know about you, but sometimes as I face the trials and challenges that often come up in life, I find myself needing a greater understanding of God's love for me. His love is so big, and yet I sometimes struggle to be reassured by it.

King David of the Bible had a very clear revelation of it. He wrote in Psalm 5, "But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of your mercy..." (v.7, NKJV). The NASB says, "But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house..." The ESV refers to " the abundance of your steadfast love..."

"Mercy," "lovingkindness," "steadfast love" -- translators find it difficult to accurately translate the Hebrew word, "hesed." Hesed is love and mercy; it's steadfast and unfailing; it's kindness expressed in actions. It's the personal covenant love expressed by the God who shared his personal covenant name of Yahweh with Moses. And that's precisely who David prays to in this psalm as he begins by saying, "Give ear to my words, O LORD [Yahweh]."

Yahweh is the name God described himself by as he expressed his covenant love to his people by delivering them from bondage. The steadfast love of hesed fits with the covenant name of Yahweh, and when we recognize that, it should cause "those... who love your name [to] be joyful in You" (Ps.5:11) -- even in times of trouble or when afflicted by the wicked (see Ps.5:4-6, 8).

Psalm 5 is like a light of hope amidst the darkness in this world, and King David found that light by making Yahweh his "King" (Ps.5:2). By recognizing Yahweh as enduringly loving, and by then submitting himself to Yahweh as his King, David felt confident entering God's "house in the multitude of Your mercy" (Ps.5:7a).

David wasn't perfect, but he was a God-fearer. David goes on to say, "In fear of You, I will worship toward Your holy temple" (Ps.5:7b). And in his reverence, David recognized God's love was all he could depend on in this world. That reminds me of Psalm 147:11 -- "The LORD [Yahweh] takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love [hesed]."

It also reminds me of Hebrews 4:16, which points us to Jesus as we consider God's covenant name and his covenant love -- "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace" -- the same throne of Yahweh the King who David prayed to -- "so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." David understood the truths of Hebrews 4:16 long before they were written, and that's because he knew the King who would one day be revealed to be Jesus! 

Certainly that means that I should be as reassured as David was by the multitude of the mercies of Yahweh, who Jesus clearly identified himself to be as he said, "before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58)! The love of Jesus is the same multitude of mercies that David mentioned, and when I make Jesus my King, it should cause me to enter his house and approach his throne with confident assurance of his love.

The Immovable and the Undefeatable -- What a Team!

Picture what's generally considered an immovable object. ...Something we'd consider permanent in our lifetime. You might think of a mountain – a huge, solid mountain of rock. 

The picture above is one I took of Mount Hood in Oregon after I had hiked up to a high point near the mountain. Mount Hood was entirely hidden from my view until all of a sudden, as I stepped out from the forest in which I'd been hiking, it suddenly filled my gaze. I nearly gasped. That massive mountain truly seemed an immovable object.

Now imagine that huge, solid, immovable mountain of rock to be completely surrounded and protected by an undefeatable never-departing army. It's an army so massive and well-equipped that there's not even the slightest gap in its defenses, and it never departs from its place around that mountain. The army is as immovable as the mountain itself. 

An immovable mountain surrounded by undefeatable defenses. ...Sounds fairly secure, doesn't it?

Well, imagine that YOU are that mountain, and GOD is that army. Because that is the truth of our reality when we put our trust in the God of the Bible.

It says in the Bible, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore" (Psalm 125:1-2).

As we begin 2024, I don't know what might be disrupting your sense of security. Are there circumstances that are causing you to feel uneasy or anxious? Whatever our situations may be, let's shift our gaze to the image above – because that mountain is us when the Lord is our God. 

The Lord God's divine Son Jesus said, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20), and then he sent his Spirit to fill us so that "by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope" (Romans 15:13). I like to think of abounding in hope as being the same as being surrounded by the undefeatable God of Hope, because God surrounding his people should certainly fill us with hope. And the God who surrounds us offers us strength for every situation we face. That's the only reason we could ever be accurately likened to a mountain "which cannot be moved". We are an immovable mountain because we are surrounded and helped by a loving and powerful and undefeatable God.

Let's focus on that the next time troubles try to move us.

© 2024 Ken Peters

Life's Test Questions 101

Ever get confused when circumstances don't seem to line up with God's promises? I do. In fact, I not only get confused, but I can get discouraged too.

Like when Psalm 105 says to "seek the Lord and his strength" (v.4) because he promises to be "the Lord our God" (v.7) who "remembers his covenant forever" (v.8). That's a big deal. The psalmist is referring to an "everlasting covenant" God made with Abraham and his descendants (vv.8-11). It sounds pretty encouraging! And I'm super grateful that God has welcomed me into an everlasting covenant with him through the faith I have in Jesus.

But wait a minute... The psalmist then suddenly starts talking about God summoning "a famine on the land" in which Abraham's descendants were living (v.17). A famine summoned by God? What's up with that? What happened to that blissful "everlasting covenant"?

Questions like these pop into my mind when things go wrong – when things go sideways – or when I just can't reconcile my circumstances with what God promised me. Maybe you wonder the same. 

Oh, but it gets worse! ...Or so it seems. One of Abraham's descendants (Joseph) is betrayed and sold into slavery as "the Lord tested him" (vv.17-19). Wow. God's wonderful covenant is followed by famine, slavery, and testing. That's not what I thought I signed up for in my covenant-relationship with Jesus.

But the truth is that being in a covenant with God doesn't mean there'll be no troubles, because it seems that God sends troubles as tests. And testing isn't a sign of God's disapproval, but a means to growth in the midst of God's covenant promises. 

In other words, God tests his children in the context of covenant. That's why troubles don't mean God is distant, but can actually be a sign of God's love as he helps us to grow.

I'm personally experiencing a time of testing right now, and I can feel tempted to get discouraged. But the tests that Joseph went through were meant to make him ready for God's purposes to be fulfilled in his life. The famine and the slavery were ordained by God to further the will of God in Joseph's life and in the lives of people around him. 

So when we face troubles in life, rather than doubting God's love and promises, this psalm encourages us to embrace such circumstances as tests to help us to grow in our trust and dependence on God. Nobody grows without testing. And testing happens in the context of an eternal covenant – like being in the arms of God as he gives us a difficult exam to write.

So exam Question #1 is: What circumstance are you facing right now that seems contrary to God's promises? Whatever the answer, Question #2 is: What character trait is God trying to help me to grow in right now. Bingo. Now it's our turn to ask our loving Father to help us to grow in that area by his great grace in our lives!

© 2023 Ken Peters

Seeking God Every Which Way

Is seeking God best achieved by actions or by words? Perhaps the best answer to that is, Yes.

Nearly every English translation uses one English word for two Hebrew words in Psalm 105:4. For example, the publishers of the New American Standard Bible (NASB) boldly describe it as "the most literal" English translation of the Bible. It translates Psalm 105:4 as, 

"Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually." 

But when the psalmist wrote that, he used two different Hebrew words that we translate "seek." Only the recently translated Common English Bible (CEB) seems to note this, as it translates Psalm 105:4 as,

"Pursue the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."

In the first half of the verse, the Hebrew word is daras, which means to tread or to beat a path; to frequent or to follow; to "pursue" (CEB). In the second half of the verse, the Hebrew word is baqas, which means to search out or to strive after; to ask or inquire; to "seek."  

Perhaps the psalmist chose two different words on purpose. Imagine that! A writer actually caring about the words chosen to express what he or she is thinking. The two words put together in this verse give us a picture of running after God as we cry out to God; of exerting ourselves to get to the place of prayer while expressing ourselves in the practice of prayer. 

As the psalmist urged his readers to "Seek the LORD and His strength," perhaps he was thinking of an ongoing pursuit. To "beat a path," or to "frequent" a favourite place speaks of an action that's repeated and persistent. For example, there's a used bookstore that I have frequented so often that the owner greets me by name, and knows the kind of books I look for. And in my life with Jesus, I want my relationship with him to be defined as an ongoing pursuit, not an occasional visit. If I really want to walk closely with Jesus, and truly want to live by his strength, I'll be sure to beat a path to his door every day!

But as the psalmist urged his readers to "Seek His face continually," it seems he was thinking of a search that may not be so easy. To "search out or to strive after" or to "ask or inquire" suggests that sometimes God is not so easy to find amidst our circumstances. Sometimes God seems hidden. Sometimes his face seems behind a cloud of troubles we're struggling with. That's not rare, and the psalmist goes on in Psalm 105 to share examples of instances in Israel's history when God may not have been so easy to find. He writes of famine (v.16) and of oppression (v. 25), and gives God the credit for causing those troubles. Anybody who says that God only calms storms, but never causes them hasn't read of the God who "called for a famine upon the land" (v.16), or elsewhere, where we're told that "He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted the waves of the sea" (Ps. 107:25). But in Psalm 105, before the writer mentions any such troubles, he urged his readers to search hard for the face of God, and to ask him to reveal himself. 

Both of these words are a help to me. I want my life to be characterized by a running after God, beating a trail to be in his presence, and to be frequently found waiting in his presence, eager to receive the strength he gives to those who wait for him (Isaiah 40:31). And I don't want troubles in my life to hinder me from calling out to him as I strive to find him in such circumstances. I want to urgently inquire after him in prayer and Bible study as I search for him until we're face to face amidst life's challenges, so that I can learn what he wants to teach me in those times.

That's why I think both Hebrew words are truly important in this psalm. And it's why seeking God is best achieved by both our actions and our words.

© 2023 Ken Peters

Read the Instructions

I find it helpful when God explicitly tells me, point blank, what he likes. So it gets my attention when God gives such clear instructions in Psalm 92 regarding what it's good for me to do, and why. 

The psalmist says, "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and [it is good] to sing praises to Your name, Most High; [it is good] to declare your lovingkindness in the morning, and [it is good to declare] Your faithfulness by night" (Ps. 92:1-2). The format of that sentence makes the "it is good" declaration applicable to every phrase. It's all good. It's good to do all that – morning, evening, daily. It's good. Good to remember. Good to do.

And the psalmist also says why. "Because You, Lord, have made me joyful by what you have done, I will sing for joy over the works of your hands" (Ps. 92:4). Thanksgiving, praise, declarations, and remembrance. It's all good to do, and takes being intentional to do it daily, and is sure to encourage us if we begin and end each day this way.

© 2021 Ken Peters

Focus on the "You's"

If I were a writer of hymns, I wonder how many of my hymns would begin the same way David began Psalm 86. Probably too many. As David began the psalm by calling out to God, he self-consciously lamented, “I am poor and needy.” David’s initial focus in that psalm seems like one big “I” – “I am poor and needy.”

But then it’s worth noticing that in the next 16 verses, the word “You” – in reference to God – appears 18 times, and the word “Your” another 10 times. Yes, “I am poor and needy,” but David’s primary focus in response to that seems to be, “You, Your, You, You…”

Fast-forward to today, and I can certainly say that without Jesus, I am desperately poor and needy. But I know Jesus personally, and so I’ll do far better by focusing on David’s You-statements than on how poor and needy I may feel, because the truth is that with Jesus, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us,” no matter what the circumstances (Romans 8:35-39)! Jesus is the “exact representation” of the God who David was describing in his many You-statements (Hebrews 1:3). 

David put the spotlight on God as he declared that…

• You are good
• You are ready to forgive
• You abound in steadfast love to all who call upon You
• You will answer when I call on You in times of trouble
• There is none like You
• You are great
• You do wondrous things
• You alone are God
• You are merciful
• You are gracious
• You are slow to anger
• You are abundant in mercy and faithfulness
• You have helped me
• You have comforted me

And with that, David ended the psalm.

 

David began with “I am poor and needy,” but then after declaring, “You, Your, You, You, Your, You, You, You, You, You, You, Yours, You, You, Your, You, You, Your, Your, Your, You, Your, Your, You, You, You, Your, and Your,” he ended by declaring that “You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me!”

That kind of focus helps and comforts me too. So today, I am going to focus on YOU, Lord, not on me, because that’s how I know I’ll be encouraged.

© 2021 Ken Peters

When Being Outnumbered is a Good Thing

I expect all of us know what it’s like to struggle with some kind of stubborn behaviour that we know isn’t pleasing to God. I sure do. A typical struggle in my life is how I can react very selfishly and imperatively toward people when I’m feeling under pressure. People I love get hurt. And then when the dust settles, I not only need to resolve things with them, but it can feel like God is disapprovingly waiting for a conversation as well, arms folded, with a furrowed brow. And I’m reluctant to even talk to him about it – yet again.

Even King David could relate to that. He wrote in Psalm 40:12, “My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head. Therefore my heart fails me.” But despite such struggles, David was full of hope and encouragement as he wrote this psalm.

David began the psalm by describing God as being inclined to him, and willing to help him, despite his unworthiness. In fact, I’m amazed at how a man who later described himself as being surrounded by “innumerable evils” and as having more sins than the hairs on his head (v.12) also had the faith to describe God as having thoughts toward him that are “more than can be numbered” (v.5). Do you ever feel like your sins can’t be counted? Then try counting God’s thoughts toward you! Hairs can be numbered, but God’s thoughts of you can’t be.

And God’s innumerable thoughts toward us are not disapproving thoughts. We know that because of how David began the psalm by describing how God had helped him: “he brought me up out of a horrible pit… He set my feet upon a rock… He put a new song in my mouth” (vv.2-3). That doesn’t sound like a frowning God looking down on our feeble frames. Then in response to what God had done for him, David poured forth his "new song" in response: “I have proclaimed good news of righteousness… I do not restrain my lips… I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your lovingkindness and your truth” (vv.9-10). David did “not restrain” his praise for a God who clearly did “not withhold” his love from David, despite his many sins. This is why we don’t need to feel reluctant to approach God, whatever our struggles might be.

It’s no wonder that David ended the psalm by declaring, “The Lord be magnified!” (v.16). David then repeats the amazing contrast: “I am poor and needy [meaning, my sins are ‘more than the hairs of my head’]; Yet the Lord thinks upon me [with thoughts that ‘are more than can be numbered’]. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.” (v.17). I’m so glad he’s still inclined to help us too.

© 2021 Ken Peters

To Grasp It, You Need To Know You Need It

My brain has trouble grasping God's greatness. I can know from what Jesus did on the cross that God is for me, and I can read all about how great God is, but when all that doesn't translate into a steady confidence in him amidst life's constant troubles, I know I'm not really getting it. After all, if the God who wants to help me is truly great and mighty and awesome beyond description, shouldn't that give me confidence amidst any of the troubles I face?  

Psalm 145:3 says, God's "greatness is unsearchable." Immeasurable. Unquantifiable. Boundless. And Psalm 147:5 says, "Great is the Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite." What a combination to comprehend – awesome power and infinite understanding. What a comfort it ought to be that such a God is "for us" (Rom. 8:31). 

But Psalm 147 goes on to tell us the key to truly receiving this revelation of who God is. Psalm 147:6 says that God "lifts up the humble" and verse ten says that "He does not delight in the strength of the horse" or "in the legs of a man." Verse eleven is the key: The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy." In other words, our revelation of God's greatness needs to be combined with a revelation of my weakness, my neediness, my dependence on God. God's greatness will only benefit the humble. My comprehension of God's power is connected to my dependence on him.

And then why wouldn't I depend on a God who I've discovered to be mighty in power, infinite in understanding, and merciful to the humble? What a great God! It's no wonder Psalm 147 begins and ends with "Praise the Lord!"

© 2021 Ken Peters

The way to begin a day...

I have had difficult days when I've awakened from sleep with a great sense of futility. After struggling with the same old issues in my heart for so long, I've sometimes felt like there's no hope of change. Will I ever stop believing the lies I'm so prone to believing? Will I ever stop getting tripped up by the same vulnerabilities? It creates a horrible hopelessness. But amidst such days, I go through the motions anyway, and try to begin each day seeking God as I read the Bible.

And as I did that recently, I suddenly felt struck as I read the psalmist declare, "While I live I will praise the Lord" (Psalm 146:2). 

It's such a simple statement, and I felt halted by it. I just stared at it, thinking of what it said. While I am alive – "while I have my being," he says – as long as I'm breathing, I'm going to praise the Lord. That's the psalmist's approach to life. Not hopelessness, but praise. Not a focus on self, but on Yahweh – the faithful, covenant-keeping God who draws near. In other words, why wake up with a complaint on my lips about my inadequacies when I can wake up praising the God who wants to be with me and help me every moment of my day? 

The psalmist then writes, "Happy [or blessed] is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry, the Lord gives freedom to the prisoners" (vv.5-7). I can be happy because the God who helps all the people listed there also wants to help me! The one who "keeps truth forever" never changes, and he won't disappoint those who put their trust in him. 

So why on earth would I ever struggle with a sense of futility when such a great God "who made heaven and earth" has offered to personally help me? Yes, imperfect me! And you! 

No wonder the psalmist described people who have such a God as happy! The truth is, if God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31) And that is why it's better to begin my day praising the Lord rather than complaining about me.

© 2021 Ken Peters

We are in Good Hands

How would you want to hide from danger? What if I told you that you could be just as safe behind a delicate feather as inside a strong stone tower?

That’s the contrast King David provided when he wrote Psalm 61. He was crying out to God when he wrote, “You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy” (v.4). 

What great assurance that provides when we see how powerfully strong God is compared to any enemy who seeks to assail us. We can take refuge behind the strong stone walls of our God. 

But then David wrote, “Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings” (v.5). Wings? What will that protect me from?

Plenty, when you understand that God’s protection is personal. A strong tower may make us feel safe, but feathers across our cheek will ensure we feel loved. It’s vital that we see God’s protection as an expression of His affection for us. 

God wants us to remember that His protection in our lives is more than simply brute force — it’s also tender care. The tower that surrounds me is also the gentle wing that covers me. We are safe because we are loved.

© 2020 Ken Peters

Enjoy the View!

As I began reading Psalm 125 this morning, the first verse gave me the impression that my life is only as stable as my capacity to trust in the Lord. In other words, it sounds like it’s all up to me: “Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.” (verse 1). If my security is based on my capacity to trust God, then — knowing my fickle heart — I'm definitely not going to feel like I cannot be moved.

But then — suddenly — it’s like an awe-inspiring panoramic view opens up before me as I continue reading — “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever!”

The psalmist isn’t saying that my stability depends on my capacity to trust the Lord, but rather, on the One who forever surrounds me, in whom I’m invited to put my trust!

He’s saying look up — look around — the Lord is like a mountain range all around you! Mountains that cannot be moved, and that will not be moved — and THAT is why you can trust Him so much that you’ll feel like a mountain in His midst that cannot be moved. To move you means an enemy would need to move the Lord who surrounds you with immovable strength.

So it turns out that my stability depends on God’s ability to surround me today, and forever! And as I consider such a panoramic view, I imagine that an impressive Himalayan mountain range must be quite small in comparison!

© 2019 by Ken Peters

A Contrast to keep in mind for the New Year

As you begin the year 2018, encourage yourself with the wonderful contrast found in Psalm 147! The psalmist wrote in verse 3 that the LORD “heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds” (or literally, “their sorrows”), and then immediately added that God also “counts the number of stars; He gives names to all of them” (verse 4). Tenderness and awesomeness, side by side. The comforting arms that hold us capably hold the universe as well.

The psalmist wanted us to know that the same God who tenderly and caringly draws near to the struggling, the hurting, the discouraged and the disappointed is also the God who is great enough to name every single star in the universe.

Scientists have concluded that there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on this planet. Estimates put the score at about:

Sand:          7,500,000,000,000,000,000

Stars: 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

And God calls each of those stars by an individual name. No wonder the very next verse in the psalm says, “Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite!” I can hardly remember one person’s name just 2 minutes after being introduced to them! Yet God can recall the names of 70 thousand million million million stars!
But this contrast goes even further. Even though God may know all the stars by name, He has much more than mere knowledge of our sorrows and disappointments. The psalmist writes that He “heals” those who are hurting, and carefully “binds up” their wounds and heartaches. Consider this! He tenderly touches us with those same strong hands that hold every massive star in the universe. And on top of that, because “His understanding is infinite,” we can be sure that we can trust His wisdom. He knows what He’s doing as He leads us through whatever we're going through.
So if you’re wearily carrying heartfelt sorrows or deferred hopes into this new year of 2018, take heart! The same God who has every star in the universe accounted for according to His infinite understanding and strength, is also attentively looking after our hearts.

© 2017 by Ken Peters

Who's Steering this Ship?

Do you ever wonder if you could do a better job of running this tumultuous world than God is doing? Or if that seems too vast, perhaps simply your own life? I definitely have moments when I struggle to believe that God is as concerned as I am about some of the more difficult details of my life.

Of course, in our more objective moments, we can easily recognize that these jobs are far too big for us, but I still can't help but wonder why God doesn't sometimes do what I personally think would be best. I can be tempted to believe that this world, or particular details of my life, are spinning out of control, as if God has been negligent in looking after them.

But then I remember how big God is; that His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts than my thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

God is not oblivious to our circumstances, nor is He negligent in His Lordship. He is not ignoring us and nor are we hidden from Him. God Himself asks us, "'Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?' declares the Lord" (Jeremiah 23:24a). Then God answers Himself with a rhetorical question: "'Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?' declares the Lord" (Jeremiah 23:24b). In other words, we aren't hidden from God, and nor has He missed any of the latest news headlines, for God's presence fills the earth as well as the entire universe!

Not only that, but the Bible assures us that God has complete authority throughout the earth. Psalm 82:8 says "Arise, O God, judge the earth! For it is You who possesses all the nations." And Psalm 83:1-2, 17-18 appeals for God to act on that authority in response to His enemies, "O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, and those who hate you have exalted themselves... Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever, and let them be humiliated and perish, that they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth."

This tells us that God:

• fills all the earth,
• possesses all the earth, and 
• is presiding as the Lord over all the earth.

And each of those great truths apply to every single happening and heartache in our lives, because we are residents of this earth that the Most High God rules over.

So in light of that, do I still feel tempted to think that this world – or any aspects of my life – are spinning out of control as if God has been negligent in looking after things? Do I still wonder if I could do a better job than Him?

John Newton, the author of the famous hymn, Amazing Grace, once wrote, "If it were possible for me to alter any part of His plan, I could only spoil it." God knows what He's doing, and will ably steer us and this world into His will as His wise and sovereign plans unfold. And as He does so, He invites us to pray and obey rather than to complain and interfere.

Yes, God knows what He's doing, and quite honestly, we as stumbling sinners don't. So every day, I must choose to trust Him as I call out to Him to perform His perfect will in all the situations that trouble me in my life and in this complicated world. And every day, I must follow the leading of His Spirit in how I respond to those situations, because God knows exactly how every situation is meant to work out. As our "enemies make an uproar," that is the only way we will be able to respond with perfect peace.

© 2017 by Ken Peters

God, Are You Still Listening?

...Hope For Imperfect Prayers

(This post first appeared as an article at desiringGod.org)

Does God really listen to our prayers? Does he really hear us when we cry out to him?

Sometimes we pray for a long time about big things, like a health issue or a prodigal child or a difficult work situation, and things don’t get better. We wonder if God’s been paying attention.

I prayed for my wife regarding a life-threatening disease for 27 long years. We prayed and prayed, but her condition only worsened. Why aren’t you answering, God? How could it be true that you have “heard my voice and my pleas for mercy” (Psalm 116:1)? It doesn’t feel like you have “attended to the voice of my prayer” (Psalm 66:19).

Perhaps my faith wasn’t strong enough. Maybe I wasn’t good enough. Such questions assaulted me like a tribunal of vicious accusers. They wore me down, leaving me doubting and discouraged.

Persist in Prayer

“How many of us can say we’ve prayed single-mindedly for something huge we were looking to God for?”

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I continued to look to God’s word for encouragement. There was certainly no shortage of it. For example, Jesus told the people “a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). This was the story of the persistent widow who only received an answer because she kept coming and asking — she refused to give up. Jesus then asked, “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7).

Is that the sort of persistence in prayer that’s required? Many of us who have prayed for years for the same thing have sometimes lost heart amid the ups and downs of waiting for God. And then we’ve wondered how God could possibly answer our inconsistent prayers. This is how the accuser can use God’s word to discourage us.

Faith in Prayer

Jesus is also clear that faith in prayer is vital. He’s bold in his promises about what will happen when we pray in faith. Jesus said,

“If you have faith and do not doubt . . . if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:21–22)

How many of us can say we’ve prayed that single-mindedly — without doubting — for something huge we were looking to God for? If we had, this passage tells us that we’d have seen the answer and been left rejoicing rather than discouraged due to our doubts and double-mindedness (James 1:6–8). Many of us likely feel like we’re lacking that kind of faith.

Never Good Enough

So what do we do when important passages like these leave us struggling with self-recrimination rather than encouraged amid lengthy battles in prayer? Will God only answer our prayers when we measure up to such impossible standards like praying day and night or having faith to move mountains? Such teachings might leave us thinking that we’re just not good enough.

But perhaps that’s exactly what Jesus wants us to realize. Perhaps the liberation we long for from that tribunal of accusers is that very admission: We are not good enough! Our prayers aren’t good enough. And there is nothing in our life with God for which we are good enough!

Boast in Your Weakness

Yes, God certainly looks for faith. Yes, we must persist. Yes, earnestly seek God to believe and endure. But even as we do, we recognize that we’ll always be deficient in faith and deficient in persistence on this side of heaven. Yet, this should not hinder us from embracing the reality that when “this poor man cried . . . the Lord heard him” (Psalm 34:6).

“Because Jesus has earned his Father’s ear, we can rest assured that God hears our every prayer.”

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We need God’s help to endure in faithful prayer when things are not going well. The most confident and steadfast saints put no trust in the level of faith they attain, but only trust that Jesus himself is “the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). They know that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). Prayerful saints trust Jesus to be our “advocate with the Father,” who covers our sinful inconsistency and unbelief with the very blood he shed for us (1 John 2:1–2).

Jesus Fills What We Lack

This gives us boldness as we persist in crying out to God, even though we know that our prayers are never good enough. God more than makes up for our inadequacies when our trust rests first in the person of Jesus, rather than first in our own disposition in prayer. Yes, the disposition matters. But the decisive factor is God’s riches of mercy and grace to meet us in our need.

And speaking of God’s mercy, God certainly did answer all those prayers for my wife, when in his perfect timing, she finally received a kidney transplant in 2015. We are daily grateful for God’s gift of life to us!

We aren’t good enough, but Jesus is. And because he has earned his Father’s ear, we can rest assured that God hears our every prayer.

© 2017 by Ken Peters