“Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found” (Psalm 32:6 ESV).
David wrote of a time when his unconfessed sin weighed heavy on him. He finally decided to stop trying to hide his iniquity and to confess his sins to the Lord. When he did, the Lord heard his prayer and forgave him. Experiencing the Lord’s forgiveness himself, David urged all those who believed to pray while the Lord “may be found.”
What did David mean by this phrase? Did he refer to a time when the Lord would hide from our prayers? No, this does not seem to be David’s point. The idea seems to be that we should confess our sins and pray for forgiveness while such grace is available. For there is a day coming when it will be too late. For no one knows the day of their death, nor the Day of Christ’s return. Therefore, pray while grace may still be found.
Another point we may take from David’s phrase is that there is a time when our hearts are tender and open to repentance. It is at such a “time” that we can find God’s grace and mercy. For He looks on the heart. And every time we feel His hand weighing heavy on us to turn to Him, yet we refuse and continue to hide our sins, our hearts harden towards God. Finally, the heart becomes calloused to the things of God and closed to his grace and mercy. The timing has more to do with our hearts, than God’s.
Therefore, let us humble ourselves and pray. For “now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:20).
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You have not hidden Yourself from us, but have freely sent Your Son Jesus to us that we might be found. Examine our hearts and reveal to us any place that we are not fully committed to You. Strengthen us to walk in Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.