(Psalms 18:4-6) “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.  (5)  The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.  (6)  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears..”

These verses first look to the plight of David when he faced physical death from his enemies and the great anxiety of mind he had in the very jaws of certain death. However, in a greater sense, these words point in prophesy to Jesus Christ as “…a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief…” (Isa. 53:3b).

As great as it is to look through the lens of prophecy concerning the “Man of Sorrows,” even the Lord Jesus Christ, in Him being the “Suffering Servant of God” as the Sacrifice, Substitute and Savior for His People – this devotion is focused on David as a child of God, and as an example for all the people of God in this area.

The miracle of prayer is not that when the child of God is in dire circumstances, he looks to God for help in time of need. The miracle of prayer is: “…he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears…” That is, God hears the cry of the petitioner for help.

The question is: Why would, or Why does, God hear the prayer of the righteous?

Because He is the Believer’s Father:   

(Psa 103:13) “Like as a father pitieth his children”

A father has “pity,” or compassion, for his children. He has good for his children and is prepared at all cost to provide and protect his children. “Like as a father pitieth his children, So the LORD pitieth them that fear him…”  Those that fear Him are those who love Him as Father. (Rom 8:14-16) “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  (15)  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  (16)  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Those whom the Holy Spirit has shed aboard in their heart the love of God (Rom. 5:5c). These are the ones who fear Him, and in whom He dwells; that is, He tabernacles within the believer’s spirit.

Those that fear God are those who have been given new wills (or have been made New Creatures in Christ, in regeneration, by the Holy Spirit of God; 2 Cor. 5:17) to submit to His Will and obey His Word. They are those who hate their flesh and its lust; hate when they sin in the flesh; and are ready to, and do confess their daily sins to God (1 Jn. 1:9).

Those who endeavor daily to walk even as Christ walked (1 Jn. 2:6). Jesus walked in the Power of His Spirit, in the complete Submission to the Will of the Father, in holiness and peace, without sin; for He was without sin, and doing the works given Him to complete by the Father. The ones who fear God are the ones God pitieth; and He hears their cry unto Him for help in time of need.

Oh, how great it is to know God in His Father Role. The Father loved His children even before time ever was; before the children of God were born; before they ever walked in the deadness of trespasses and sin. Yet, the Father saw His children in Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world, to ransom and redeem the people of God. To know that the Father has always had His children in His eye; watching, guiding, teaching, providing, protecting every step of their life from conception in the womb to the last breath; to the last pump of blood by the heart; to the last brain wave that directed every movement of the entire body. The Father was ever there; full of compassion; full of love, grace and mercy for His child; even with each and every child of grace, as they passed from the earthly scene to His Heavenly home, prepared and preserved in Christ for them forever and ever.

There is no difficulty, no problem, no sickness, no need whatsoever that a true father is not there for his child. So, how much more is God there for every child of grace? The Scriptures are full and running over of promises from the Father to the children of God that He, and He alone, is the true and living God; sustaining what He Planned and Purposed for each child of God. It began in eternity past; it was ratified on the Cross by Jesus Christ, God in the flesh; and it was revealed and sealed to the child of grace by experience in regeneration and conversion. Whereby, the converted child of grace had an internal witness that he is a child of God, and God is his Father; even Jesus Christ his Sacrifice, Substitute and Savior.

Our Father Knows Our Weakness:

(Psa 103:14) “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”

The Father (Jehovah) made, or created, each of His children out of dust, or of this clay. Not only using a metaphor; but, God knows our weakness of this flesh because of the curse of the law that passed on Adam and all his posterity when Adam broke the law of God (Gen. 2:16-17; Rom. 5:12). Therefore, being born dead in trespasses and sin; it means that man is spiritually dead; and this means that his soul (seat of affections) is one with his spirit. The soul, or the flesh, is in control of man until God divides the soul from the spirit in regeneration, and gives man a new spirit; wherein He comes to dwell and takes control the man (Heb. 4:12).

God knows and understands the war between the flesh and man’s spirit once the man is regenerated and converted by the Holy Spirit of God. Not that God excuses or overlooks our sins of the flesh after salvation; but, He knows our weakness and the need of the believer on his earthly daily journey. Praise God; He lives within every believer, and is the Author and Sustainer of the Faith of Christ living in the believer (Gal. 2:20). The believer’s strength and security are in the in-living of Jesus Christ in the believer forever and ever.

The believer can take Hope in knowing as the Apostle Paul wrote:

(2Co 3:5) “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;”

(Php 4:13) “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” 

 (Php 4:19) “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

(Heb. 13:5) “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” 

Be encouraged Reader, if you are a child of God, and you are in confession of any sin of the flesh (1 Jn. 1:9); God has promised He will hear and answer your cry unto to Him:

(Heb. 4:16) “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

(1Jn 5:14) “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

(1Jn 5:15)” And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

Oh, what a wonderful, marvelous Heavenly Father (God) that the believers have; Who has all power in heaven and in earth; Who has His children’s good at all time; Who neither slumbers nor sleeps – but, is the Provider and Protector every second of the day for the believer. Hallelujah! Amen and Amen!