I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2
Sometimes it just takes one word to grab our attention as we read the Word of God. In the verses above, the word for me is “inclined.” The Psalmist shares that the Lord inclined His ear to hear my voice and my pleas for mercy. I get this picture of the Lord leaning forward from His throne in heaven just to hear my prayer. With all that is going on in Heaven and on the Earth, the Lord cares so much about little ole’ me that He inclines His posture to come near.
The same word that is translated inclined here is also translated as “stretched out” or “turned aside” in other places in Scripture. Imagine that the One True God would stretch out or turn aside to listen and give my prayer His attention. That thought just blows me away!
There are days and even seasons in our lives when the Lord seems distant. When it seems like He is a million miles away. David shared this feeling in Psalm 10:1 “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?” My emotions alone leave me feeling like the Lord has left me by myself in my circumstances. When my emotions are raw, I need to renew my mind with what God says in His Word. The Lord has promised that He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He says He wants to be with us and to strengthen us (Isaiah 41:10). Search the Word of God and stand on His promises!
Psalm 116 is only one of many instances where the Psalmist says that God inclines to hear His children. Check out these others I found on a quick search:
O Lord, You hear the desire of the afflicted; You will strengthen their heart; You will incline Your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. Psalm 10:17-18.
I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. Psalm 40:1-2.
If you and I truly believe what the Bible says, then we should believe that God does incline to hear us when we pray. So what are you waiting for? Call on the Lord. He is waiting to hear from you!
Glen Solberg is a man who is passionate about marriage - his own and the marriages of those around him! He and his wife, Shawn, have been married since 1992 and have been investing in the marriages of others full-time since 2003. You can find out more by going to the About Page.
Written by Glen Solberg, Abiding Marriage, 2020. All Rights Reserved.