“I sought the LORD and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears . . . This poor man cried out and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles . . . Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:1, 6, 8).
Dear Praying Friends:
You all know how I believe in asking others to pray for us. I have benefited from the prayers of God’s people, and, like Paul, I am bold to ask for it (see, for example, Ephesians 6:18-22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5).
Recently, however, God has been reminding me that each one of us can, and should, call out to God for help and deliverance, trusting that he will hear and answer our individual prayers. The Psalms are replete with such cries for God’s saving intervention, like the ones quoted above from Psalm 34.
David not only records his experience but exhorts all of us to taste God’s goodness and trust in his care for us. I am struck by his choice of words in verse 8: “Blessed is the man who trusts in Him,” where “man” translates the Hebrew term for “strong man, hero, valiant warrior.” Even the strongest among us can, and should, turn directly to God when we are in trouble. Protestants, especially, believe in the priesthood of all believers; we don’t need to rely principally on the intercessions of others, but have direct access to the throne of grace through Christ (Hebrews 4:16).
“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry” (Psalm 34:15).
Yours in his always-attentive care,
Wright