Daily Devotions
Monday, October 20, 2025
Psalm 5:1-3 – Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You do I pray. O Lord, in the morning You hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for You and watch.
It may not be easy to make requests of a government office or to seek changes in laws or policies. There may be a long process involved in getting potholes filled on a street or having a road sign replaced. Such requests, no matter how small, may require official letters, petitions with hundreds, if not thousands, of signatures, or votes by council members. There may be layers upon layers of bureaucracy to navigate.
The psalmist has a request, or actually, a demand. He does not try to gather signatures on a petition or gain the support of council members. If there were bureaucratic channels, he would bypass them because he goes right to the top, demanding an audience with the King, God Himself: “Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God.” The psalmist offers up the sacrifice of prayer before the throne of God and then waits for the answer which is certain to follow. The way is always open, as other psalms testify: “Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and He hears my voice” (Psalm 55:17). We have that same privilege of direct access to the throne of God. At any moment, day or night, we can bring our petitions to God, and He will hear and answer us.
That immediate access is granted to us as a gift, through the King’s own Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. In obedience to His Heavenly Father and out of His love for the world, Jesus left His heavenly throne to be born among us. He submitted to the unjust judgment of earthly rulers. No official petitions with thousands of signatures were submitted in an effort to save Him. Jesus, crowned with thorns to mock His kingship, was nailed to a cross. When He died, the temple veil concealing the Holy of Holies—the place of God’s presence—was torn in two. Through the crucified and risen Savior, the way to God is open. There is only one official channel, only one way to gain access to the heavenly throne, and that is through faith in Jesus, our High Priest. As the writer to the Hebrews explains, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). The King invites us to pray. He is listening and He will answer according to His will.
WE PRAY: My King and my God, I know that You will hear and answer my prayers. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- What does it say about God that He would pay attention to the requests we make of Him?
- Why is Jesus able to “sympathize with our weaknesses”? What does this say about how well He knows us?
- Does knowing that God wants you to pray to Him alter your view of Him? Did you know that about Him before today?
Today's Readings:
Jeremiah 6, 11-12Acts 27:27-44