God pays attention

9/22/20
Today’s devotion for today is based on Daniel 9:18, “My God, pay attention and hear me. Open your eyes and see all the terrible things that have happened to us.”

God knows, without a doubt, that many of us could pray this prayer. Some of you will have prayed very similarly at some stage this year. With disastrous fires, then floods in some areas, then COVID-19 with its resulting lockdowns, church closures, death of loved ones, border closures, job losses, and so on. How many of us have possibly said or thought about the terrible things that have happened in our lives, and in the lives of our fellow citizens? We want God to pay attention, and sometimes it appears that he isn’t!

And God has not because God is God. We can’t always see it, and his mercy can sometimes seem a long way off. But God’s mercy is present. In our lives, our prayers, and the answers to our prayers. And, of course, the answers are not always what we want. But they are sufficient. So we are to continue to pray our prayers, knowing God hears and answers because of the wonderful gift of mercy and grace.
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Please pray the prayer for today with me: Heavenly Father, creator, and sustainer of all things, seen and unseen, thank you, God, for the freedom to ask for your attention. Remind us that you always attend to us. Thank you for your mercy and grace. In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.