November 11: “A Primary Motive of Prayers that Get Answered”

Today’s Bible Reading:

Today’s Bible Verse(s):

Psalm 143:11–12 (CSB): “For your name’s sake, Lord, let me live. In your righteousness deliver me from trouble, and in your faithful love destroy my enemies. Wipe out all those who attack me, for I am your servant.”

Reflections on Today’s Bible Verse(s):

In Psalm 143, the Psalmist was struggling with enemies. People had, for some reason, set themselves against him and he was fearful. He needed protection and rescue.

On what basis did the Psalmist ask the Lord for help? Because of his own personal righteousness? No. Why? Because he acknowledged that he was guilty of breaking God’s divine laws. Verse 2 says that “no one alive is righteous in your sight.”

So, on what basis did the Psalmist ask for divine intervention? Just look at the verse that I have chosen for today.

Psalm 143:11–12 (CSB): “For your name’s sake, Lord, let me live. In your righteousness deliver me from trouble, and in your faithful love destroy my enemies. Wipe out all those who attack me, for I am your servant.”

The Psalmist asked for rescue based upon the Lord’s name’s sake. He acknowledged that the Lord’s reputation was on the line because the Psalmist was His servant. So, if injustice prevailed upon the Lord’s servant, if it seemed that the Psalmist’s God was nowhere to be found in times of trouble, it would reflect badly upon the Lord.

Friend, this is one of the primary principles of answered prayer. When we ask things of the Lord, we should spend less time thinking about what would be in our interest and what would be in the Lord’s interests. When we focus on what requests would align with the Lord’s name’s sake, we can expect that He will hear and answer in His time.

Does that mean that we can never ask things that are in our interests? Nope. Because if we genuinely love the Lord, if our heartbeat is to know and enjoy and obey our God and speak of His greatness, then our heart becomes so intertwined with the Lord’s heart that our desires become His desires. Therefore, when we ask for things that are in the Lord’s interests, they are also in our own interests.

Psalm 37:4 (CSB): “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”

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Lord Jesus, I have discovered that when I am not intentionally pursuing You and enjoying You, then I become very self-centered in my prayers … when I pray. But when “I long for you … as a deer longs for flowing streams” (Psalm 42:1), I discover that I genuinely desire what You want. Help me, Lord, to pursue You and love You with all my heart so that my prayers are rightly motivated and gain the ear of Heaven. I pray this, genuinely, in Your Name and for Your glory. Amen.