Few of God’s blessings are more praiseworthy than the blessing of prayer. Even though he lived under the old covenant without all the blessings found in Jesus being his mediator, the composer of Psalm 66 still experienced rich blessings in answer to his prayers. He writes of this in verses 16 to 19: “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. But certainly, God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.”
The clear Biblical teaching that God so loves and cares for His people that He is ever attentive to their prayers is distinctive. The clear Biblical teaching that fallen humans can address the Holy One and He will mercifully attend to their prayer is incredible. The clear Biblical teaching that God answers prayer with mercy and kindness makes the great I AM most deserving of exuberant praise.
“Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer nor His mercy from me!” (v. 20) ought to be the joyous praise that reverberates throughout our lifetimes.
