Psalm 20:1 The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.
What is prayer and why do we do it? Prayer is something that some people memorize. They memorize a prayer. Sometimes people open some solemn occasion, like Congress or something, with a written out prayer. I don’t say that it is evil to write out your prayers, however, sometimes I think we are confused about what prayer actually is. We think that prayer is eloquence or some act of discipline. We think, “I need to get up early, have a certain number of prayer requests on a prayer list, and pray on my knees with folded hands and my eyes closed for a certain amount of time.” Well, the Lord knows we need more discipline and not less, but when we think about such things, we put the cart before the horse. We think about secondary things, not the primary thing.
A pastor named Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “The goal of prayer is the ear of God.” Indeed, that is true. It is obvious to see through the Word of God and especially in the Psalms. For instance, Psalms 20:1 says, “The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.” In verse 6 he says, “He will hear him from his holy heaven.” Verse 9 says, “Let the king hear us when we call.”
So, the goal of prayer is the ear of God. If God is not hearing, if God is not responding, then what are you doing? You may be working on your eloquence, your discipline, or your virtue, but you don’t pray because you are virtuous; you pray because you are not. You don’t pray because you are strong; you pray because you are not. You pray because God is virtuous, God is knowing, and God responds to prayer. So, the goal of prayer is the ear of God.
You see that three ways in this psalm. First, you see that by God’s response. Verses 2-4 say, “Send thee help…remember all thy offerings…grant thee according to thine own heart.” These are specific things for which the one praying is asking God. These are verifiable. In other words, “God, I need help. Please give.” So, send, remember, grant. You can see that prayer is a matter of appealing to God’s ear, and you see that by the response that is being asked for.
Second, in verse 5 you see not only God’s response, but God’s salvation to our petition. “We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfill all thy petitions.” I ask, and He answers. That is almost formulaic. I asked; He answered. I had trouble; He had salvation. So, the goal of prayer is the ear of God. Notice His salvation in verse 5.
Finally, notice His name. Verses 7 says, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” Notice the contrast between some people and those who ask. Between they and we. The psalm ends by saying, “Hear us when we call.”
Today, I don’t know what your need is, but I know Who hears, answers, and is sufficient. Friend, work on your eloquence, discipline, and virtue, but any of these things that you get will come from the God to whom you pray. The goal of prayer is the ear of God.