Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 66 GWT; Ch. 67 NLV; Ch. 68 GWT Podcast Introduction It’s Psalms Wednesday, and we’ll read chapters 66-68. I’m calling this episode “Essentials.” Design: Jason Paschall | Photo: Midjourney Comments on Psalm 66 This psalm opens with a call to all the earth to praise God because of His awesome (in the truest sense of the word…awe-inspiring) deeds. It even gives a sample of what should be said to God: “How awe-inspiring are your deeds! Your power is so great that your enemies will cringe in front of you. The whole earth will worship you. It will make music to praise you. It will make music to praise your name.” All of this is true, of course. God is worthy of the praise of the whole world. Most of this psalm gives various reasons to give him worship, and one can’t help but say “Yes!” and “Amen!” as we read them. But the last five verses are a bit different:  16Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell you what he has done for me. 17With my mouth I cried out to him. High praise was on my tongue. 18If I had thought about doing anything sinful, the Lord would not have listened ⌞to me⌟. 19But God has heard me. He has paid attention to my prayer. 20Thanks be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or taken away his mercy from me. Psalm 66: 16-20 God’s Word Translation The psalmist said, “If I had thought about doing anything sinful, the Lord would not have listened ⌞to me⌟.” And he was right. Have you ever thought about the fact that God is not obligated to listen to every prayer? Proverbs 28:9 says, “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.” Job, when speaking of the wicked says in Job 27:9, “Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him?” Sometimes God will listen to the prayer of an unbeliever, if the prayer is in alignment with His will. There are many examples of this in the Bible. But an unbeliever should have no expectation that God will hear them. But for Christians, listen to Hebrews 4:14-16: “14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathiz