The Hearer of Prayer

Thou that hearest prayer”—this is the title David gives unto the LORD by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. David knew the LORD as “Thou that hearest prayer” by his own blessed experience. Is this not a blessed knowledge? Is this not a most honorable title? The LORD is so worthy of it, but how little is He acknowledged and honored with it since the Fall. Many pray not at all; many more pray to gods other than the LORD—those having ears but hearing not. Ahab’s prophets “called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us…” No voice answered. When Elijah prayed, “Hear me, O LORD, hear me,” the fire fell. “

“O Thou that hearest prayer.” David drew near unto the living God; he knew, he felt this. It was not mere historical knowledge by which a soul is not moved, nor was it mere natural emotion by which a soul is not edified. David approached, by a true, saving faith, by the movement, by the instruction of the Holy Spirit, unto the LORD who lives. Such prayer burst from his soul already in his early days— unto the LORD that delivered him out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear. By this experimental knowledge of Him that heareth prayer, the youth was prepared to go forth in courageous faith against the powerful hand of the uncircumcised Philistine. What were his wanderings in the wilderness—pursued as a dead dog, as a flea—but a confirmation of that faith in Him that heareth prayer? Were forty years fighting the battles of the LORD unprofitable to his soul until the LORD delivered him from all his enemies on every side? No, David was firmly established in the blessed truth of Him that heareth prayer.

However, carnal needs are still not soul needs, natural enemies not yet spiritual enemies, nor a nation’s enemies necessarily personal. Where do we find the greatest personal profit for David by faith in Him that heareth prayer? Is it not in the spiritual need of his own soul? In the following verse we read, “Iniquities prevail against me.” What enemy did David experience to be more powerful than his own iniquities? What enemy but this was able to prevail against this mighty warrior? It was to David stronger than a lion and a bear, stronger than Goliath, stronger than a jealous monarch filled with the evil spirit himself. Iniquities— iniquities prevail against me—not that which is from without, no, but that which is from within! These defile me; these threaten me; these condemn me; these prevail against me.

“O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come.” “All flesh?” Shall all flesh come to Him? No, elsewhere he says that “the workers of iniquity…call not upon the LORD.” David here looks far into the future, beyond the present dispensation, by the Spirit prophesying of the inclusion of all flesh in the kingdom of God, even “all the ends of the earth,” and “them that are afar off upon the sea.” From afar they shall come, even all flesh, rich and poor, high and low, Jew and Gentile shall come unto Thee, O Thou that hearest prayer. What shall bring them? Iniquities! That will be the common enemy. Iniquities— iniquities prevailing against them, against which they have no power. They shall come and experience that the LORD is the living God, not a dead idol. They shall come, and they shall know Thy power against iniquities that prevail against them; “as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.”

David expresses his oneness with that Church of all ages, even those who are not yet born—that which is future. “As for our transgressions,” the transgressions of all of us who must confess that our iniquities prevail against us, that we have no power, no might against that great company, “as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.” Together we shall experience that Thou hearest prayer; that Thou art willing to hear prayer; that Thou desirest to hear prayer. That Thou hast opened a way so that Thou art able to hear prayer, even the prayer of those of us whose iniquities prevail against us. Together we shall come, in all of our guilt; we shall come in prayer and experience Thy goodness, Thy power, Thy grace.

“O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come.” Are we also included in those that shall come, dear reader? When Judas approached the LORD, He asked him, “Friend, wherefore art thou come?” What would be our answer? In this season we come; we come in a Prayer Day.* Wherefore? Do we come to beg for food for the season before us? Then we come to the right place, for we come to Him that heareth prayer, Him that is able to hear that prayer and that is willing to hear it. David speaks about that in Psalm 65. “Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it…Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness…The pastures are clothed with flocks.” Yes, then we, indeed, come to the right place, when we acknowledge that we have no power to take care of our temporal needs and those of our family.

However, such requests do not include us among those of whom David speaks here when he says, “unto Thee shall all flesh come.” May the LORD Himself teach us to cry with David, “Iniquities prevail against me,” as He teaches all those whom He teaches to pray that they may receive the greatest blessings there are to be received from Him “that heareth prayer.” “As for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.”

*U.S. Prayer Day—First Thursday of May

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