September 22, 2017 - - Psalm 116:12-14 Prayer and thanks to the LORD

What shall I render to the Lord

For all His benefits toward me?

I will take up the cup of salvation,

And call upon the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows to the Lord

Now in the presence of all His people.

Psalm 116:12-14 NKJV

Consider how often you have prayed, faithfully and intensely, asking God for His help and HIs answer. Now ask yourself how often have you thanked Him for His answer to prayer?

It would be my guess that sometimes believers miss God's answers for a lack of examining what He is doing. Prayers are aimed at God without any sense of expectation for what He is doing and how He will answer.

Some believers, disappointed with the response of God (who sometimes says "wait" and other times says "no") sulk rather than bless His Name. Perhaps God's no is a gracious answer as He knows what will harm or overwhelm the petitioner.

There are a number of churches that have specific prayer request times. People in the pews can ask the minister or prayer leader to remember these needs in the prayer time. How many of these churches have times of blessing God for all His answers? Sure, Thanksgiving Day, or that weekend is the obvious answer.

Know this, God hears prayers and He answers our requests all year through.

The Psalmist, in light of God's streams of answered prayer, is asking: "how can I give a fitting response to the LORD for all the answers the He is giving?" What a great question for us all to consider each day.

God of Splendour, how astounding it is, that You, the Majestic and Glorious LORD of heaven should hear the prayers of Your people and stoop to answer these! Thank You for Jesus, in Whose Name believers dare to pray. Thank You for the Spirit by Whose presence believers don't have to formulate perfect prayers or say just the right words. Thank You, Spirit of God, for taking feeble prayers and even inarticulate groanings and carrying these to the throne Jesus, the mercy seat--the one place of help in all the universe. As the Psalmist asked, so do we, what praise, what song, what offering, what can I give to You, Lord, for all Your blessings and benefits given to me? Amen.