Daily Devotion - Wednesday, April 6

Are You Listening?

“Listen to the sound of my cry, O my God,
for to you I pray.”
--From Psalm 5

This week we are working through a prayer by Kenneth Phifer entitled, “I Need To Listen”. The verse of the Psalm introduces us to a person who desires that God hear his/her prayers. The theme of Rev. Phifer’s prayer is for God to empower him to be a better listener. It seems these two themes are quite congruent. Let’s become better listeners through a prayer to the Great Listener, our Holy God.

“Lord, this is a shouting world.
There are voices of rage and of protest.
There are voices of defiance and of contempt.
How carefully I sift out the shouting, ignore the screaming.
Make me listen, O God, I pray.
You are the Creator of us all,
and sometimes the voices of anger carry messages from you.
Enable me to be a listener, I ask.
For in listening I may find direction and guidance.”

There are multiple reasons for people shouting around this global villiage, trying to understand. In my workplace the shouting may be muffled, weakened by disease, but it is still very present. Listen closely today to shouts and screams; may you find a Holy Presence giving you clarity in your listening. God bless you.

--Ben Keckler
04.06.11