Thoughts for the Day

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I have often compared making a phone call, to praying to God, and used a sketch (with an old fashioned phone) to show what I mean.

DRAFT NOTES FOR SKETCH - CALLING GOD

Woman: God, is that you?
God (offstage): Yes, it's me!
Woman: Thanks goodness. I really need some help!
God: I can see that you do!
Woman: I need you to do (gives long lists of requirements). Oh hang on a moment, I just need to answer another call!
(Woman disappears leaving phone hanging!)

Variations on the above would be acted out, with tv and family sounds in the background and the actor allowing God no time to speak. Normally in a real phone call we dial a number, speak, perhaps apologising for not ringing earlier, we tell them our news, and we listen to them. We should do all this when we pray: find a quiet moment to speak to God, apologise for our mistakes, ask for His help, and listen to Him. Prayer should be as simple as a phone call. Unfortunately sometimes our prayer becomes a list of demands and we can be distracted by noises around us or other people demanding our attention as in the sketch above, and we simply don't listen for God's voice.

An artist put a lovely illustration in one of my books - the word "God" was at the centre of the page surrounded by dozens of hands holding out dozens of phones to Him. I whimsically imagined God receiving millions of phone calls every day demanding help! The opening few lines of Psalm 130 remind me of this as the psalmist cries to God out of the depths of his despair, asking God to hear his voice and to 'let his ears be attentive' to his appeal. Unlike my sketch though, the writer immediately asks God to forgive any sin he may have committed and stresses his unworthiness. He ends by affirming that he trusts in God's promises and his soul waits in hope for an answer.

Lord God,
when things go wrong,
when we feel we are in over our head,
and there is nowhere to turn,
may we remember that You are always there,
ready to listen and answer our petitions,
as is best for us.
Help us to learn to hear Your voice
in whatever that is -
through our conscience,
through others,
or through scripture,
and be attentive to Your word.
Amen.