Psalm 120:1-2
I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.

I love the psalms because they span the full range of human experience. Some are full of praise and worship, but others burst out with anger and disappointment. However you are feeling, there are psalms that will be just right for you, because God meets us where we are. We don’t need to pretend to be something that we are not. We can come to Him with our struggles, fears, passions and hopes and know that He will understand us completely.
I’ve had the privilege of visiting a number of Benedictine monasteries in England and France. I have been thrilled to live as part of their worshipping communities for a few days of retreat. Every day there are eight times of worship, and you need to know that I didn’t attend them all! Each week all of the 150 psalms are read or sung, and that seems to me a wonderful rhythm of life. What has often struck me is the ruthless honesty of the psalmists. They hid nothing when they came into God’s presence. They told Him exactly how they were feeling and used language that makes us wince at times.
God wants us to come to Him with exactly the same ruthless honesty and to be confident that He will always answer our prayers. He may not answer us in the way that we want or expect, but He will always answer us.
Question
What experience have you had of God answering your prayers?
Prayer
Loving God, I thank You for the privilege of prayer. Help me to place it at the centre of my life. Amen

Released on 5 Jul 2026