O LORD, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Psalm 139:1-6

We cannot tell God anything He does not already know. When we pray, we simply put into words what He has been aware of all along. That does not make prayer unnecessary, rather, it encourages us to pray. We find relief in talking to Someone who knows us and our situation fully.

God knows the anguish of our heart, the strain of continued frustration, the enemies inside and outside that war against our souls.

God alone knows the way to bring us to glory. Out of all possible paths, He knows the best way to go and He will lead us there, if only we listen for His divine guidance. His way for us is the way that is most adapted to who we are. We can’t teach God. We can learn from Him. We can love and trust Him. That is really all He asks from us.

God knows the end from the beginning,

so we can trust Him with everything in between.

Our Daily Bread – September 19, 2004