constant attendance in the way that God has appointed. My
Therefore, when we stand to pray, we must stand firm on this foundation, confident and unwavering: that whatever we ask of God as our Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, and in accordance with God's will as revealed in Scripture, it shall be granted to us—either in the way we ask or in a better way. This is the promise of John 16:23: Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. This promise has been confirmed throughout the ages by the experiences of the saints. Ever since people first began to call upon the name of the Lord, it has been evident that Jacob's God never told Jacob's descendants, Seek me in vain. And He will not begin to do so now.
When we come to God in prayer—if we come as we should—we can be confident of this: despite the great distance between heaven and earth, and despite our unworthiness to receive notice or favour, God does indeed hear our voice. He will not turn away our prayers or withhold His mercy.
2. This is rather to be understood as David promising God his constant attendance in the way that God has appointed. My voice shalt thou hear—that is, I will speak to thee. Because God had inclined His ear to David many times before, David resolved to call upon Him at all times, even to the very end of his life. Not a day would pass without God hearing from him.
It is not, of course, the sound of the voice that God regards. Those who made their voices heard on high during prayer (Isaiah 58:4) misunderstood this. Hannah prayed and prevailed, even though her voice was not heard aloud. It is the voice of the heart that matters. God said to Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? (Exodus 14:15), even though we do not read of Moses uttering a single word. Prayer is lifting up the soul to God and pouring out the heart before Him.