“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” – Psalm 55:17
When my children were little, they often suffered from ear infections or croup, and it seemed like the illnesses frequently made themselves known in the middle of the night. I remember a few of these late night occasions when one of my children would spike a fever or have an unceasing cough, and I would be without the medication I needed to soothe their discomfort. This was long before the time when stores were open past 9 pm, so to get any medicine, I had to find the location of a 24-hour pharmacy. I remember how relieved I felt when I called and heard a voice telling me that they were indeed open for business.
Isn’t it great to know that our God is accessible to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week? The Bible tells us that whenever we pray, God is listening. He never sleeps, never takes a day off, never refuses to “take our prayer.” God is always available to us.
All throughout the Scriptures, we are repeatedly reminded that God is just a prayer away.
- “Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.” Psalm 66:20
- “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers…” 1 Peter 3:12
- “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” Proverbs 15:29
- “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” Jeremiah 29:12
- “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” Psalm 91:15
- “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” Psalm 34:17
- “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” Psalm 18:6
You never need worry that heaven will not be open when you call. No matter what time of day you pray, you will always find a listening ear in Jesus.
Whisper a prayer in the morning,
Just at the break of the day;
Why fear the fight, in your battle for right,
When you know He will lead all the way?
Whisper a prayer at the noontime,
Pause in the midst of the throng,
Look unto Him who can conquer all sin,
In thy weakness, in Him thou art strong.
Whisper a prayer at the twilight,
After the day’s work is done,
No other friend will prove true to the end,
Like Christ Jesus, the Crucified One.
Whisper a prayer, just whisper a prayer,
Even a whisper He’ll hear over there;
Victory is thine, in His love so sublime,
When to Jesus you whisper a prayer.
(from “Whisper a Prayer” by Scott Lawrence)
“But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.” Psalm 4:3
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The next time you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep, why not have a little talk with Jesus? He’ll be up!