God Hears Our Prayers & Grants Us His Wisdom - Psalm 86 & Jeremiah 33:3

The Prayer Podcast with Jan L. Burt

Hey there! Welcome to episode 33 of The Prayer Podcast. I’m grateful you’re listening today, and I’d love to know where you’re listening from. I’m in sunny Wichita, Kansas today, enjoying the spring weather and readying myself for what will likely be yet another toasty summer in south central Kansas.

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Today I’d like to share a few verses with you that are super encouraging for us regarding prayer. The first verse is from the book of Jeremiah, and we will look at chapter 33, verse 3. This is a somewhat well known verse, so it may be pretty familiar to you. It’s a very encouraging verse.

Jer. 33, verse 3 in the NLT says this:

Ask Me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

Yeah, that’s an actual verse in the Bible and God is the One speaking in this verse.

Call to Me, He says, ask Me, and then He goes on to promise that He will tell you remarkable secrets, things you do not know about things to come.

This is profound.

We worship the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, we stand amazed and in utter awe of Him…and that is exactly as it should be. So verses like this one can hit us smack dab between the eyes and seem impossible to be true.

But it is true! God says so, right here in Jeremiah.

Today, right now, are you willing to be bold and brave enough in your faith to believe that this is true for you? That is, you will do the asking, if you will call out to God in prayer, He will tell you remarkable secrets that you don’t know yet, about things which are to come?

I think we all have areas in our life where we really need the Lord’s wisdom. Let’s ask for it, and let’s pray really boldly and ask Him to tell us secrets about what’s coming. I think that we can trust the God who puts a verse like this in His Word for us to read and for us to believe, we can trust Him fully with all the things we bring to Him in prayer. It’s easy to pray and not fully trust - and when we get super honest, we can admit that this is true. It’s harder to pray and trust Him completely with the things we’re concerned enough about to pray about. Let’s pray big today, and let’s trust big today.

Psalm 86, and I’ll put the entire psalm in the show notes but I will only read some of the verses from this psalm out loud.

Vs 1 - Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer’ answer me for I need Your help.

So right off the bat we know the psalmist is praying over some things weighing heavily on him. Can you and I go to prayer when things in life get heavy?

Vs 3 - Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on You constantly.

Vs 6-7 - Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry.

I will call to You whenever I’m in trouble, and You will answer me.

Vs 11 - Teach me Your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to Your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor You.

Vs 16-17a - Look down and have mercy on me. Give Your strength to Your servant; save me, the son of Your servant. Send me a sign of Your favor.

As I’ve worked on this episode, I’ve been praying this psalm over several people who are facing hard things right now. And I’ve also prayed it very broadly over every listener who is hearing this episode.

You are not alone and you are not forgotten, and the God to whom David was praying when he penned these words is the same God I have been praying to about you. He still moves mountains, He still parts seas, He still hears and answers prayer. And His love for you is unending.

As always, you can email me at [e-mail] with your prayer requests and I commit to praying. I also have a link in the show notes where you can send your prayer requests. I’m praying and believing, and I’m seeking the God of the Bible to move on your behalf!

Thanks so much for listening today, from wherever you are in the world. Lord bless you!

Psalm 86 A prayer of David.

1

Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;
answer me, for I need your help.
2

Protect me, for I am devoted to you.
Save me, for I serve you and trust you.
You are my God.
3

Be merciful to me, O Lord,
for I am calling on you constantly.
4

Give me happiness, O Lord,
for I give myself to you.
5

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
6

Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;
hear my urgent cry.
7

I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,
and you will answer me.

8

No pagan god is like you, O Lord.
None can do what you do!
9

All the nations you made
will come and bow before you, Lord;
they will praise your holy name.
10

For you are great and perform wonderful deeds.
You alone are God.

11

Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.
12

With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
I will give glory to your name forever,
13

for your love for me is very great.
You have rescued me from the depths of death.[a]

14

O God, insolent people rise up against me;
a violent gang is trying to kill me.
You mean nothing to them.
15

But you, O Lord,
are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
16

Look down and have mercy on me.
Give your strength to your servant;
save me, the son of your servant.
17

Send me a sign of your favor.
Then those who hate me will be put to shame,
for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.