psalm 26: prayer and righteousness go together - 13th week tuesday

Psalm 26, our psalm today affirms that there is a connection between the desire to be innocent and whether or not God will listen to my prayer.  There is a connection between what I do and how I act and the outcome of our prayers.

It seems that we don't see anymore the connection between worship and our way of life, between being answered in our prayers and how we live our lives.  The psalmist is trying to prove his innocence, search me or Lord and Try me, I walk in integrity.  Then only when he has proven his innocence can he say redeem me, have mercy on me, hear my prayer.

The point of Psalm 26 is this - prayers are better heard when it comes from an innocent and righteous heart.  This is the reason why before receiving the sacrament like marriage, confirmation, the Eucharist we are asked to go to confessions first. I think the psalmist feels that it is so in-congruent, it does not add up that while committing sin, while transgressing the laws of God, while living in sin, we expect God to hear your prayers.  It does not add up.

Prayer and a righteous life should go together.  We make it a habit therefore to go to confessions during times when we ask God for something important.  I am not saying that we should be hypocrites – maayo lang ta kon may pangayuon kita.  Of course we should live a holy life everyday of our lives even when we have nothing to ask God for.  But freed from sin, cleansed from sin the person can worthily offer prayers and God readily hears him.  This is what Psalm 26 is telling us.

And yet there are times that despite our best selves, despite our effort to become good and holy, the Lord does not seem to care at all – it would seem.  This was how the church ever since have understood the Christ sleeping despite the storm when the boat they were in was being tossed about by the waves and was about to capsize.  Many times this is how we also see God – he is asleep, he does not care, he is not disturbed by what is happening to us at this very moment, he does not hear.  But when he woke he said to them - Men of little faith, as he rebuked the wind and the waves.  It helps to have faith, to live a righteous life as we face and bear the storm and as we call on God to hear us and help us.  It helps when life and prayer are congruent – when how we live our lives matches how we pray.