Today’s Verse, Psalm 66:18, is a “blanket” statement about prayer. Yet even it must be coupled with tomorrow’s Verse, Psalm 66:18, to give the Psalmist’s complete thought.

Yet Verse 18 alone does give us plenty of “meat” on which to chew!

Now … here’s our thought: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Psalm 66:18

Oh, the danger of sin in a person’s life!

It can, apparently, even concern one’s prayer life.

To “regard” iniquity (in Hebrew “raah,” meaning to “look at, inspect, consider”) is to “allow” it and “savor” it, not to repel it! It’s the opposite of Paul’s command to us, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” 1st Thessalonians 5:22

Then the noun “iniquity” translates “aven,” a wide ranging word meaning “wickedness, evil, falsehood” and even “idol” once!

Anything displeasing to God!

Wow!

Thus our verse presents a “cause-and-effect” sequence in reality. If I do _____________ … as a result this will thereby occur _______________.

Look once again please. “If I regard iniquity in my heart (cause), the Lord will not hear me (effect).”

The noun “Lord” is “Adonai,” a word meaning “Master, Ruler,” even “Owner!”

And the “hearing” verb is “shama,” that is, “to listen, to understand,” with a “hint” of “obeying” what’s been heard! As in “answered prayer!”

The inverse is also being implied! If I have confessed and forsaken all my “iniquity” … the dear Lord WILL HEAR me!

What a comfort!

By the way, even when God does hear me, after I have abandoned all known sins … answered prayer is still a matter of GRACE! God’s undeserved “gift” or “gifts” to us! We can never earn His favor!

Yet again, He does bless and reward our faithfulness and purity and diligence … living hour by hour for Him!

Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell