220: One Prayer God Always Answers

Mar 1, 2024

The One Prayer God Always Answers

Have you ever wondered why it feels like God sometimes ignores our prayers? We just can’t wrap our heads around God’s ways. I’ve been there, wondering why things don’t seem to be going as planned. But there is one prayer that God always answers: the prayer for mercy. In this episode, we’re exploring the unwavering presence of mercy in the Bible and embracing the abundant mercy God offers us each day.

This is illustrated in Scripture time after time, like the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness. They were like the world’s most disobedient toddlers! God says, don’t touch it, and they touch it. God says, don’t do it, and they do it. God says, don’t go over the line, and they put their toe over the line. Like, that was the children of Israel. And over and over and over, God showed them mercy. Now there were times when he was like, alright. I’m I’m done. And he, like, zapped them literally.

But no matter how many times they messed up, God’s compassion was always there for them. Just like he does for us. This story is a reminder that even when we mess up, God’s mercy is always within reach.

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When God Shows Others Mercy

Another example is the people of Nineveh, a wicked city where God chose to forgive the people when they repented. It hit me hard – the idea that mercy is not just for the ‘deserving’ but for anybody who genuinely seeks it. How many times when we’re asking for mercy, do we expect God to just shower mercy on us? But then when we see somebody else receive mercy, we get the Jonah attitude. Like, really, Lord? Wow. Let me encourage you today to not only be grateful when you receive mercy but even when you see other people who you think don’t “deserve” the mercies of God.

Let’s not forget the powerful story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. Every time I hear it, it tugs at my heartstrings. The image of the father wholeheartedly welcoming back his wayward son, showering him with love and forgiveness, speaks volumes about the boundless nature of God’s mercy.

It’s important to remember that God’s compassion never fails, and it’s renewed every morning. Lamentations 3:222-23 puts it this way:

Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness.

It’s like waking up to a new daily deposit of $50,000 in your checking account; a fresh start every day. Mercy is a chance to embrace grace and let go of yesterday’s burdens. It’s not always easy for us to recognize and receive God’s mercies daily. Many people choose to wallow in self-defeat instead of genuine repentance and a commitment to walk in the light of divine guidance.

God Abounds in Mercy

In Psalms 103:8, one of my favorite favorite passages of the Bible, it says “The Lord is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger, and he is abounding in mercy.” That means that mercy is part of God’s character. He abounds in it. He just can’t help but to be merciful. I want to remind you that nowhere in scripture when anyone prayed for mercy were they denied, not one person.

I wrap up the episode with a heartfelt prayer, asking God to remind us that he showers His mercies upon us. This episode is like a warm embrace of hope, reminding us that God’s mercies are there for the taking, always renewing our spirits and guiding us through life’s ups and downs.I pray that you have a refreshed outlook on embracing the everyday miracles of God’s mercy.