A Prayer for Recognizing God's Answers to Our Prayers - Your Daily Prayer - September 2
A Prayer for Recognizing God's Answers to Our Prayers
By Meg Bucher
Bible Reading
“I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.” - Psalm 123:1
“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.)”
- Find my keys.
- Find my phone.
- Heal my sore knee.
- Give me patience with my daughter.
- I need a friend today.
- Stretch my minutes.
- Can the sun just come out …
On and on, at least I can say I make a good attempt to obey God’s command to ‘pray continually’ (1 Thes 5:18). Psalm 123 is a short psalm, just four verses. But the way it starts captivates me every time I read it. “I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.” Such a reminder of who God is …and how needy I really am! I am so dependent on God for literally all of the things that fill up my daily life. “The psalm writer lifted his eyes to God, waiting and watching for God to send his mercy,” the NLT Life Application Bible explains, “The more he waited, the more he cried out to God because the scoffing of the evil and proud was unrelenting and he couldn’t bear it any longer.”
Ah, there’s a part of life that reminds us of the news, doesn’t it? The bad news is easy to find. In fact, it surrounds us. One year, I resolved to cater my social media feeds to good news and truth. I spent that year unfollowing things that made me anxious and following things that reminded me of Jesus. I get my news in three separate news emails – 2 are nonbiased, and one is Christ-centered. I had to take those thoughts captive, milling around on social media. Praying this Psalm rights the countenance of our hearts so we can remember that God really is in control despite the chaos. Verse 2 says:
“We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.” Psalm 123:2 NLT
The Message paraphrase reads, “We’re watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy.” When we pray to God, do we know how to interpret His answers? 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? Do we hear Him in His Word, through a friend, out in nature, or through a seeming coincidence that echoes an answer to our request? Praying this Psalm reminds us to be open to receive God’s response to our prayers. Verse 3 continues:
“Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt.” Psalm 123:3 NLT
Contempt is the feeling of disdain or scorn for something considered mean, vile, or worthless, and can also refer to willful disobedience or disrespect towards court or legislative orders. (Dictionary.com) We are surrounded with contempt. We do not want to start blending in with the chaos around us: mean, vile, worthless, disrespectful … no, thank you. But we all know too well how surrounding influences bleed into our persona subtly. Lastly, verse 4:
“We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant.” Psalm 123:4 NLT
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.
Let’s pray:
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.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes
Related Resource: 5 Things Parents Need to Tell Their Kids About War Right Now
When war dominates the headlines, parents are left asking an important question: How do we talk to our kids about it? In this episode of March or Die, Jeremy Stalnecker shares practical and biblical principles for guiding young people through confusing and frightening global events.
Drawing from his experience as a Marine who lived through the wars following 9/11, Jeremy explains why moments of global conflict can become powerful opportunities for parents to teach their children about courage, faith, and moral clarity. Rather than avoiding difficult conversations, parents can use them to help their kids understand fear, the reality of evil in the world, and the responsibility we have to stand for what is right.
This conversation explores how parents can alleviate fear, explain why conflict exists, and demonstrate a faith-filled response when the world seems chaotic. Jeremy also discusses the importance of teaching children the difference between necessary and unnecessary violence, why standing against evil matters, and how faith in God provides stability even in uncertain times. If this episode of March or Die helped your spiritual perspective, be sure to follow the show on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
