Our faithful Lord answers your prayers.

 

Sermon for Trinity 15, September 13, 2026

Our faithful Lord answers your prayers.

Dear children of the Living God,

St. John, in his greeting to the members of the seven churches in the province of Asia: (Revelation 1:4) wrote, “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God His Father—to Him be the glory and the power forever.  Amen.” (Revelation 1:6)  Today, this serves as both my greeting to you and as a reminder that Jesus has made us people of God’s kingdom and priests with the privilege of intercession with God.  Our sermon text celebrates that marvelous privilege that allows us to go to God, the Creator of heaven and earth, with any need, want, or care with full assurance that Our faithful Lord answers your prayers.

We read King David’s psalm in the name of our dear Savior, who gives the words their power:

Psalm 145:1-2,13b-21  A song of praise.  By David.  ¹I will exalt you, my God, the King, and I will bless your name forever and ever.  ²Every day I will bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. … The Lord is faithful to all his words and merciful toward all he has made.  ¹⁴The Lord lifts up all who fall, and he supports all who are bowed down.  ¹⁵The eyes of all look eagerly to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.  ¹⁶You open your hand, and you satisfy the desire of every living thing.  ¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways and merciful toward all that he has made.  ¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  ¹⁹He grants the desire of those who fear him.  He hears their cry and saves them.  ²⁰The Lord watches over all who love him, but he will destroy all the wicked.  ²¹My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord.  Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. (EHV)

Though David lived a thousand years before Jesus entered this world as a babe in the manger, David lived his life, and was saved for eternal life, through his faith in that promised Savior and Redeemer.  It is because of his faith in the Promised One that God blessed David so richly.  It is also David’s faith in that Promised Redeemer through which the Lord rescued him from the condemnation his sins deserved. 

The same should be said about all of us.  We too have many condemnable sins and shortcomings that had to be removed before we could stand before God in peace.  Yet, we too are given forgiveness, peace, and eternal life through faith in the Savior who entered this world as a tiny babe in a manger, lived a peasant’s life in faithful holiness for us while teaching God’s Word and promises to a stubborn people, then being falsely accused Jesus bore all our sins to condemnation and death on a cross. 

In one of the more reassuring passages you might ever hear, David wrote, “The Lord is faithful to all his words and merciful toward all he has made.”  This is the truth that allowed David to go out in battle against giants and enemy forces far larger than his own.  As a boy this confidence kept David in the field when his father’s flocks were attacked by lion or bear.  Knowing that his heavenly Father has his best interests at heart, David could go against the enemy without debilitating fear.  Now, that isn’t to say he never trembled.  Any of us might get nervous in the middle of the fight, but remember David’s confident words as he approached Goliath, “You come against me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defied.  Today the Lord will hand you over to me.” (1 Samuel 17:45-46) 

To Goliath, that sounded like a ridiculous boast.  Even David’s brothers likely expected their little brother to be annihilated.  But, what did David have that Goliath would never know?  David had the Lord God at his side.  Before this battle, God had anointed David to be the next king of Israel.  Therefore, David wasn’t being reckless when he fought against Israel’s enemies.  Instead, he was taking up the position of trust God intended for him.  Likewise, God wants us to trust Him in everything.  No, that doesn’t mean God has chosen us to go into battle or cut off a giant’s head.  Rather, because Jesus has already won the victory that David’s victories foreshadowed, our Savior sends us out into the world on a different mission—not to make a kingdom by force, but rather to spread the message of peace and forgiveness that builds God’s kingdom of grace.

You see, God’s plan was always to reconcile the world to Himself in Jesus.  The very first promise given after Adam and Eve sinned was that the son of the woman would crush the devil and his rebellion, but at a cost.  The promise was repeated for us through the Children of Israel and their history.  The Lord showed Himself time and again as their Rescuer and Redeemer.  He was their guide and their hope for eternal life.  Israel’s history also shows us God’s faithfulness in judging evil.  Whoever refuses God’s mercy will suffer His wrath, but that is not for us to carry out.  Rather, when Jesus returns to judge the world, those things will be sorted out for eternity.

In the meantime, David reminds us that just as God continually demonstrated His loving concern for the Israelites before Jesus entered the world, so He now extends His love to all the people on earth.  Concerning Jesus’ mission to save sinners, God the Father declared, “It is too small a thing that you should just be my servant to raise up only the tribes of Jacob and to restore the ones I have preserved in Israel, so I will appoint you to be a light for the nations, so that my salvation will be known to the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)  God faithfully delivered on His promise to send a Savior.  God faithfully delivered on His promise to rescue us from sin, death, and the devil.  In the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, we receive sure and certain proof that by faith we too will receive everlasting life.

David also had the Lord’s ear.  So, what does this mean for our prayers?  It means that not only does God provide everything we need for body and life, but He promises that He hears our prayers and that Our faithful Lord answers your prayers.  James wrote, “The prayer of a righteous person is able to do much because it is effective.” (James 5:16)  The righteous person is one who has been declared righteous through the gift of faith in Christ Jesus.  His or her prayers are powerful and effective not because of what is in us, or what we do or say, but because the One to whom we pray both hears our prayers and has both the will and power to answer them.

David wrote, “The eyes of all look eagerly to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.  You open your hand, and you satisfy the desire of every living thing.  The Lord is righteous in all his ways and merciful toward all that he has made.”  Because He is good, faithful, and kind, God sustains the world and every creature in it.  Likewise for mankind, whether people believe in Him or not, God continues to provide much for their daily lives in the hope that they will turn to Him in faith.

On the other hand, God refuses to hear the prayers of those who deny Him.  Every day, and in every tragic event, a call to pray goes out.  Pray to your god, is often the plea.  Yet, idols don’t hear; neither do they see the troubles that surround us.  They have no hands to help or feet to come running to the aid of anyone, and the devil through whom all idols come about is only seeking our destruction.  Consequently, God declares to the unrepentant people, “I am the Lord; that is my name.  I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8)

But to those people who believe in the Triune God, David wrote, “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and merciful toward all that he has made.  The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”  God’s justice demanded that sin be paid for with death.  Therefore, so that many who deserved eternal condemnation might be rescued from that everlasting gloom, God sent His Son to redeem and save us.  Jesus paid the debt of sin for the whole world, and those who are brought to believe in Him will be saved.  In fulfillment of David’s assurance here, Jesus declared to His people, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)  Then, after His resurrection from the grave, Jesus promised, “Surely I am with you always until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)  Indeed, Our faithful Lord answers your prayers.

In his praise, David continued to recount the goodness of our God singing, “He grants the desire of those who fear him.  He hears their cry and saves them.  The Lord watches over all who love him, but he will destroy all the wicked.”  These words continue a theme that runs strongly throughout the Scriptures, telling of God’s infinite mercy and kindness to those He calls to faith.  At the same time, those who reject the One who is our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier will suffer for their arrogant defiance.  God earnestly desires to provide all good things to the people He created.  However, once sin entered the world, many people refuse God’s love and mercy, and in their rejection of God, many have embraced Satan’s hatred for God’s people.  However, by rejecting the Savior God sent to redeem all people from the devil’s grip, the unrepentant will receive the due reward for their rebellion against the God who loved the world through His Son.

For you and me today, however, we can go about our days with the same confidence David demonstrates in this psalm.  We should have complete confidence in God’s will and ability to care for us in every need.  More than that, though, we are especially assured that Jesus lived, died, and rose again so that we might be delivered from eternal punishment and despair, for He has paid the price to set us free from sin.  On top of that, by sending His Spirit in Word and Sacrament, the Lord our God has brought faith into our hearts and lives, so that regardless of circumstances, whether richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, in persecution or time of peace, we will stand with King David declaring, “My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord.  Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.”  Triumphant unto life everlasting through faith in Jesus we remain, because Our faithful Lord answers your prayers.  Amen.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless in the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, now, and to all eternity.  Amen.