More Ready to Hear

“ Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve. ”

Do you ever feel alone? I don't mean, are you ever alone in the house, in your room, out in the woods—and feeling lonely. We've all been there. But have you ever felt truly alone in this world, alone in the sense of being the only one who knows who you are and what you feel? You can't explain yourself to anyone, disclose the painful thoughts that plague your heart, open that can of worms you've got hiding in the shadows to anyone, for there isn't anyone in your shoes who will understand.

Are you ashamed? Do you feel that your sin, your wicked inclinations, your betrayals of the ones who love you and count on you can't see the light of day, or else everyone will depart and you will truly be alone? And so you actually are alone, in yourself: can't tell the truth about yourself, not to anyone. There is a phony guy out front saying one thing, and your heartsick heart moaning down inside of you, wishing you were someone else, hoping no one notices the pointy tail you've got hidden in your trousers, and pointy horns you have cleverly disguised in your hairdo.

Are you alone? Do you think that God Himself will not hear your prayers, because you can't fool Him and He knows who you are? Why would He care about a dope like you? What would He say if you opened that bag and let your lousy cat out in front of Him?

Maybe you just feel insignificant . You haven't done anything bad, nor have you done anything good enough for God to notice you or care about what you want. Sometimes we're ashamed of ourselves, not because we've done anything really wrong, but because we haven't done anything much at all. Why would God, who creates heroes, who makes sunsets, who devises salvations for millions, who is busy all the time giving life and reaping souls for heaven: why would such a God stop doing all that is wonderful and important, and take the time to listen to a flea speck like me?

I think most of us feel things like this, and maybe that's why we don't pray more. Maybe prayers we've prayed at times before just haven't resulted in anything close to what we thought should happen. Maybe something bad happened once in our life and we've blamed God ever since, concluding that He doesn't like me. So, if He feels that way, I'm just not talking to Him anymore. In any case, we feel all alone in the universe—up the creek without a paddle, captured by the pigmies without a recipe for cooked me.

Think again. God has spoken to important people in the past, as recorded in the Bible. That interview was how they became regarded as important people. Their subsequent actions made them part of a great story, and we've enjoyed their accounts of God interacting with man. But it's in a book, written long ago about people who wear different clothes. God doesn't talk to people today, or at least, He isn't interested in talking to me.

Think again. God has spoken to people, and listens to people and is tuned in to the frequency of human thoughts and prayers. He is listening. That's the first mystery, that He would consider our lives at all. King David wondered at this in his psalm, when he asked: “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.” Psalm 8:3-6 His son, Solomon, built the first Temple in Jerusalem, and in dedicating it he prayed and asked God, “Have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day: That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.” 1 Kings 8:28-30

Yes, these men were of national importance to Israel, but it was their very relationship with God that brought them to prominence, not the other way round. Jeremiah, the prophet, looked at the destruction of the nation at the hands of Babylon, and at that point did not despair, but heard God: “For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:10-14

Saint Paul, wrote the Ephesians his hope for their spiritual lives: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.” Ephes. 3:16-21 God is able to do more than we think or ask of Him. And His love exceeds our knowledge. That's hopeful. God has a good purpose in our lives, and means something when He creates us. He means something by your life. What does He mean by it? What plan is He fulfilling in setting you loose on the face of the earth? It is at least to fulfill His glory, that a creature set free to do good or evil, has mucked about until today, and is finally setting his own face toward heaven and thinking that God loves him and that he might just love God back. It may very well be a lot more than that, too.

God does not always answer our prayers in the manner we intend, and we may think He doesn't hear or care about us. That's not fair, and it isn't true. Jesus asked if the cup of suffering might be taken away, and that's the one time the Father told Him, “ No .” What resulted was the salvation of all mankind, and Jesus' resurrection solved forever what Christ felt on that cross: alone, abandoned, abused, accused, and dying . God does not always answer our prayers in the manner we intend, but He answers all prayer and He gives all our heartful yearnings due consideration. Then He does what is best. You've heard it said that God answers prayers in one of three ways: “Yes, no, or wait.” I've heard it put better: He answers, “Yes, or wait, or I've got something better than that.”

I love the collect for today. I wish I paid more attention to it and took advantage of this great listening God more often, praying in every way I can. Listen to this promise: “Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.” What a marvelous prayer. I think we can conclude that it is a true prayer, that God has amply shown Himself as the One who is always more ready to hear than we are to pray . No matter how much you bother Him with petty concerns and stupid worries, He listens, He loves it. There may be better things to pray over, and having the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, the prayers you make to Him may improve in content and concern over time. The thing is, you're talking to Him. He was waiting for that. He wants to show you He is listening . He wants you to know that you are not, after all, alone.

God is wont to give more than we either we desire or deserve . That means He wants to and will certainly give to us more than we can ever desire for ourselves, no matter that we don't deserve it. He is generous. He wants to give good things to His children. He is usually holding back only because we haven't asked, didn't really think of it, and He wants us to know where it came from. So, “ Ask ,” says our Lord. “ Seek, knock.” “Talk to me .”

The Collect, after acknowledging God's gracious will toward our prayers, puts in its request: “Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid,” which was the first reason we felt alienated and alone in this big world. We don't feel worthy, don't feel comfortable in our skin, don't feel we can talk to a pure and holy God because of the things we've done. We're afraid. We're Adam hiding in the shrubbery. The prayer says, forgive . Solomon said, “ Forgive .” God says, “I forgive.”

The prayer goes on to ask our Lord to give “us those good things which we are not worthy to ask,” and we might never have them or deserve them or be able to expect them from such a good God—then the prayer answers that concern : “through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.” It is Jesus' merits that win us our desires. It's His being there asking the Father for our sakes to give us the things that will fulfill our lives. He will let us know we have a God who cares, a God who gives, a God who forgives. We are not alone. There is One other, One who cares, and who is always more ready to hear than we are to pray.

PFH+