Mensa Otabil - I Cried, The Lord Heard (10/01/2025)
Psalm 3, verse 4: «I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill.» Selah.
David knew what to do when he was in trouble. People were saying God had abandoned him, but he explained, «When all of this was going on, I cried to the Lord with my voice.» When we are surrounded by enemies on every side, we must learn to turn our attention to God. David uses the word «cried»; the word «cry» signifies a deep, intense, and passionate expression through his voice. This is not something he is doing in his head; he is not internalizing his pain but expressing it outwardly.
He cries out to God, making a loud sound, and probably it isn’t even a sound of prayer but a sound of pain. He cries to God, saying, «God, look at what I’m going through. It is intense.» This is not a ritual prayer or a quiet one; it is a very passionate, heartfelt prayer. David states, «I cry to the Lord with my voice,» not just my spirit, but my voice also expresses what I am feeling.
There are times when we go through difficulties, and our prayer becomes an outburst, a cry to the Lord. There is a place for crying out in intensity to God, and there is also a time for praying quietly. Even Jesus had moments when He cried to God and then moments when He prayed very quietly. There are seasons and different ways of expressing our prayer to God.
When your enemies surround you, surround the throne of God with your prayer. They may be around you, but you should also surround the throne of God with prayer. Often, when we see people turning against us, we become disoriented, unsure of where to turn. Should we go left or right? Should we tell everyone about our problems? Should we cry to our friends? But David knew where to go when he was in trouble, and that was his secret. Throughout the Psalms, we see that David consistently goes to the presence of God, to the tabernacle of the Lord, waiting on God when in trouble.
He knew that, as much as people around him could help, his greatest assistance would come from God. Thus, he always surrounded the praises of God, the throne of God, with his prayers and cries, directing his anxiety to God. In verse 4, we see the second Selah. David says, «I cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard me out of His holy hill.» Selah.
In other words, there are times we cry to God with our pain, and then we find peace. Additionally, there are times when God hears us, and because He hears us, it brings rest to our soul. Selah. God hears us, and all anxiety diminishes. This doesn’t necessarily mean the problem has been solved, but just the assurance of knowing God has heard my prayer.
How do we know that God has heard our prayer? Because we have prayed by faith, prayed according to His will, and prayed in the name of Jesus. When we pray by faith, in accordance with the written word of God and the will of God, and in Jesus' name, we know God has heard us. After we emerge from prayer, we should possess Selah—the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keeping our hearts and granting us rest.
Do not exit prayer after you’ve cried to the Lord, having shared all about your problem, only to continue crying to others. There should be no Selah in that, but after we’ve cried to the Lord and He has heard us, He grants us peace. May the Lord give you peace in every anxious moment of your life.
Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, I lift up my heart and voice to You today. Thank You for hearing the voice of my supplication. In Jesus' name, Amen.» The Lord heard us out of His holy hill. Selah. I am Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom—peace and life to you.