Psalm 66:17-20 ESV “I cried to Him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!”

There was no use trying to make sense of what I was hearing because my ears could decipher only total chaos. The inhabitants of this remote Guatemalan mountain village had gathered with us under a tree to pray. However, what happened next seemed extraordinary. In accordance with Guatemalan custom, they all began loudly praying their own personal prayers simultaneously. Numerous voices blended into one big noise and drowned out my ability to focus. Some prayed tearfully and others prayed joyfully. Some prayed somber prayers and some shook the leaves with their shouts of praise. The seeming disarray of it all left me a bit rattled.

Reflecting on the pandemonium of that day, I recalled something precious about our God. What I viewed as chaos and confusion, God viewed as beautiful. Their prayers mingled together in an undeciphered clamor to me, but to the Father, it was a sweet symphony. He alone could make sense of it all.

Whenever I read Psalm 66, I smile at the memory of standing under that Guatemalan prayer tree. I wonder if by any chance the psalmist had ever experienced such a prayer method. Psalm 66 makes sure we know that God hears all our different prayers. He hears the cries coming from hearts filled with pain. He listens to the high praise of those whose voices shout to heaven. Then in response, He attends to our prayers. And amazingly, no matter what we confess, God’s love for us remains constant and steadfast.

Sometimes when I pray, I miss that chaos of voices and smile just a bit knowing the Father who hears my prayer is also listening intently above the treetops in the mountains of Guatemala.

Father God, we stand in awe knowing that you hear all the prayers from all your children all over the world. Thank you for listening and attending to our petitions.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane