If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear; but God has heard; He has given attention to the sound of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor His favor from me. – Psalm 66:18-20 (NASB)
Pray without ceasing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NASB)
Today’s verses remind us that prayer is not simply speaking words toward heaven – they’re an invitation into honest relationship with God. When the psalmist says, ”if I regard wickedness in my heart”, he points to the posture of the heart. God is not looking for polished prayers. He’s looking for sincerity, humility, and the willingness to walk in His ways. When we come to Him with that openness, the psalmist declares with confidence God listens. God attends. God does not remove His steadfast love.
That assurance is what allows us to embrace Paul’s instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Paul is not commanding us to spend every minute speaking words of prayer. He’s calling us to cultivate a life of prayer, a continual awareness of God’s presence, and a steady turning of our hearts toward Him throughout the day. To “pray without ceasing” is to keep the doorway between our heart and God’s heart open at all times.
Together, these passages reveal that prayer is both relationship and rhythm. We turn to God honestly, trusting that He hears us, and we keep turning to him repeatedly – not just in scheduled moments, but as a lifestyle. Prayer becomes the way we breathe spiritually, the way we stay grounded in His love, and the way we remain attentive to His presence.
In this rhythm, we discover what the psalmist knew to be true:
God listens.
God responds.
And God holds us in steadfast love.
When our lives become lives of continual prayer, we stay rooted in the One who hears, the One who guides, and the One who never turns away.