An Appeal For God To Hear

Hear me as I pray, O LORD.

Be merciful and answer me!

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”

Do not turn your back on me.

Do not reject your servant in anger.

You have always been my helper.

Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,

O God of my salvation!

Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the LORD will hold me close.

Psalm 27:7-10

David went through times when he felt abandoned by God. In this psalm, David pleads for God to hear his prayer and answer him. We, too, will go through “dark nights of the soul”—when it seems there’s a wall between us and God, when it feels like he is far away. We, too, will cry out with a heart of anguish, “Are you listening, Lord? Please hear me and answer me!” Even before David received an answer, as he struggled in this storm of doubt, he prayed, “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.” He reassured his troubled soul that God was close—no matter how he felt.

During those times when God seems so distant, we must remind ourselves that God is near to those who call out to him.

• Dear Lord, hear me as I pray. I know that even if my father and mother abandon me, you will hold me close . . .