Yesterday we learned that God will not hear our prayers … if we harbor iniquity within our hearts. Then, the first step toward answered prayer, for the Christian, MUST BE asking for forgiveness of our daily sins!

But now (in his next verse) our little Psalmist says more. Telling us a lot about himself, I think. “But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.” Psalm 66:19

Yes. The Lord has “heard” this pious man’s prayers! And “attended” to his voice, his plea! This last verb is “qashab” in Hebrew, indicating God “inclined” His Ear toward the praying believer! God “cupped” His Ear, as if to hear better!

Truly we all know this. GOD INDEED ANSWERS PRAYER!

Yet the amazing thing is the “coupling” of the two verses, Psalm 66:18-19. And I had never noticed their “linkage” until recently.

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. BUT VERILY GOD HATH HEARD ME; HE HATH ATTENDED TO THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER.

Amen!

Cleansed from sins!

As David in Psalm 51 asked, perhaps. “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

There’s more. “Purge me, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Then this. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Yes … we can live lives that do not “regard” iniquity!

We can, put into New Testament language: “Confess our sins,” knowing that God “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1st John 1:9

Then we can all praise God and rejoice in our hearts. “But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.”

What a wonderful Lord we worship!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell