The Lord Hears Godly Men

By John Duvall In In Remembrance On July 17, 2016

When was the last time you prayed to God? Was it this morning? Could it have been last night? Maybe it was last week during worship services? It is a shame for a Christian to pray so little when God has done so much to save that Christian’s lost soul. God sent His Son to die upon the cruel cross so that we could enter into a covenant relationship, whereby we can cry out, “Father, Father.” (cf. Romans 8:14-16) However, how often do we get down on our knees and cry out, “Father, Father?”

Our lives as Christians should be filled with prayers to God. Every day of our lives we should offer up prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of supplications on our own behalf and prayers of intercessions on the behalf of other people. (cf. 1 Timothy 2:1-2) However, in all of our prayers to God, we must always remember to sing the praises of our great and wonderful heavenly Father.

As our minds are upon prayer, allow me to remind us all of our need to strive to live godly, to faithfully trust in and follow our Lord and Savior. This state of soul and life is crucial to the Lord hearing our praise, our cries, and our pleas. We can see this great need for trust and godliness in Psalms chapter 4.

David begins the fourth Psalm by writing,

“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.” (Psalms 4:1)

David calls upon God to have mercy on him and to hear his prayers. Like David, our lives are not perfect. It is certain that we are undeserving of God’s grace and mercy. However, because of Jesus Christ, God has accepted us into His fellowship. As long as we “walk in the light, as He is in the light,” God will maintain our fellowship with Him. (cf. 1 John 1:5-10) God is a forgiving and merciful God. He will hear our prayer for mercy and relief as long as we will submit ourselves unto Him. (cf. James 4:7-8)

In verses 2-3, David writes,

“How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him.” (Psalms 4:2-3)

David knew the difference between those whom God would hear and those whom God would not hear. God turns a deaf ear to those who seek falsehood. However, He will hear those who call to Him, seeking His grace and mercy. The apostle Paul wrote,

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the lord shall be saved.’” (Romans 10:12-13)

In verses 4-5, David continues,

“Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD.” (Psalms 4:4-5)

While the New King James Version reads, “Be angry,” (which is also the same rendering as the Septuagint) the King James Versions reads, “Stand in awe.” The phrase “stand in awe” or the word “tremble” better fits the definition of the Hebrew word. The New American Standard reads, “Tremble, and do not sin.” As followers of God, Christians should stand in awe before God and spend much time in contemplation of His word, His greatness, and His justness. Such mediation will help a Christian “offer the sacrifices of righteousness” and put their full “trust in the Lord.”

In the final three verses, David writes,

“There are many who say, ‘Who will show us any good?’ LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalms 4:6-8)

Just as David referenced those who “love worthlessness and seek falsehood” (vs 2) he also referred to those who say, “Who will show us any good?” Not only will many people seek falsehood, they will also question the loving kindness of God as well as His existence. Whereas many people questioned God, David prayed for the light of God’s countenance. We too can seek the “light of God’s countenance” by continuing to “walk in the light as He is in the light.” The apostle John wrote,

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7)

There is great benefit to walking in the light of our Lord and Savior, namely our fellowship with God and the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

We also see from Psalms 4:6-8 David’s confidence and trust in God. Because of this confidence and trust, David was able to write,

“I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” We can have the same restful peace, this same confidence and trust in God.

We, as Christians, must have the same confidence and trust in God as did David. Let us cry out, “Father, Father,” knowing our Father in heaven will hear us when we call to Him in prayer. Let us “offer the sacrifices of righteousness” and put our “trust in the Lord.” Let us all “lie down in peace” knowing the Lord is watching over our souls. With this confidence in the Lord, we know He hears our prayers.