A Prayer for Recognizing God's Answers to Our Prayers
“Ok, God,” I’ll often say, “You say if it matters to me, then You care about it …so, can you please help me (insert ask.)”
We all want God to answer our prayers, but sometimes we struggle to recognize His guidance in our lives. Psalm 123 offers a powerful reminder of how to approach prayer with a heart of anticipation and receptivity.
The Importance of Lifting Our Eyes to God
Psalm 123:1, “I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.” This verse serves as a poignant reminder of God's power and majesty. We are dependent on Him for everything. As the NLT Life Application Bible notes, the psalm writer “kept his eyes on God, waiting and watching for God to send his mercy.”
This perspective is essential in our prayer life. When we pray, we should not just be asking for things but also seeking to see God's hand at work in our lives. This requires that we are attentive to His whispers – whether through His Word, the words of a friend, the beauty of nature, or even seemingly coincidental events.
Finding God's Answers in the Fabric of Everyday Life
The Message paraphrase of Psalm 123:2 reads, “We’re watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy.”
Do we know how to interpret God's answers to our prayers? Do we know what to look and listen for? What to anticipate? Scripture assures us God answers our prayers, but do we look for His reply in the fabric of our everyday lives?
Facing the Contempt of the World
Psalm 123:3-4 speaks of the “contempt” and “scoffing” of the world. We are surrounded by influences that can pull us away from God and His truth. The psalmist acknowledges the overwhelming nature of this contempt and cries out for God's mercy.
This is a powerful reminder that we need to be vigilant in our spiritual walk. We cannot simply ignore the chaos around us. We must actively choose to hold onto God's peace and protection, seeking His strength to resist the temptation to conform to the world's values.
Choosing Peace in the Midst of Chaos
The more aware we are of who God is and who we are to Him, the more pronounced the chaos of the world feels some days. By praying the words of this Psalm, we choose to embrace the privilege of peace that comes as we walk with Christ instead.
A Prayer for God's Guidance
“Father, I lift my eyes up to you, O, God, enthroned in heaven. I keep looking to You for Your mercy, God, as a child who cannot contain their excitement to see someone they dearly love and have missed. Or the ice cream truck. That’s how I feel today, God, anticipating Your answer to my prayers …remembering that You are with me always and that You care about the smallest details in my life! Thank you so much for that, God! You are so kind and compassionate to me. Help me to see, hear, and know how You are answering my prayers. I want to feel Your presence in my life palpably! Have mercy on me, LORD! Carve any contempt out of my heart and guard me from the weight of the world and its surrounding influence. I have had my fill of it …and it so subtly bleeds the fabric of my life, God. Protect me from people who have ill intentions for me. Protect me from the corrupt edges of my daily life, God, and things I can’t even see that I am not aware of. Build my faith up, God, day by day. Replace chaos with peace.In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Resources for Further Exploration
This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God’s presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
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