My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will to me. - Psalm 64:1

Today's Scripture Reading (August 28, 2025): Psalm 64

"Writing is like talking to yourself, just in a way that makes it look like you're not crazy!" I am not sure who said it, but I love the quote. Whoever it was that wrote these words was right. I am one of those people who talk to themselves. What makes my form of talking to myself even crazier is that I also answer myself. Maybe this is why I often like to spend some time alone; when I am alone, no other voices can disturb the conversation I am having with myself, and there are no people around to accuse me of being crazy.

I also admit that there are times when I talk to my television, although that practice seems to have diminished over the past several years. I used to talk to my television when I was watching sports, questioning what the teams were doing on the screen, like the 2015 failure in the Super Bowl of the Seattle Seahawks to run the ball from the half-yard line on a second-and-goal. Instead, they passed, the pass was intercepted, and the Seahawks lost the biggest game of their year, 28-24. "What are you doing?" That one was a bit embarrassing because I was in a public place at the time, and it wasn't a bar or a place where everyone was watching the game and asking the same question. I hope the television and the people in the airport have forgiven me for the frustration that I vented on it in that moment.

Another television target is religious programming. I love to argue with TV preachers. Yes, I know they can't hear me, but I talk anyway. I freely question the theology or absurdity of their comments and the strange beliefs of those who speak to me through the screen in my office or family room. A while back, I was listening to one of these television prophets talking about prayer, and he made this comment: When you pray, you speak out loud to God. We have a different name for silent prayer; we call it thinking. If you pray, you verbalize your request before God.

I am not convinced that is true. David writes this about his understanding of God.

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely (Psalm 139:1-4).

David seems to understand that God heard his prayer when he spoke, but also knew the silent requests of the King when he was "just thinking." It is a concept that is not just found in the poetry of David; it is also in the prophecy of Jeremiah.

"I the Lord search the heart
    and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve" (Jeremiah 17:10).

Again, Jeremiah seems to understand that God knows both his thoughts and his deeds, and that he would be judged according to both.

In the New Testament, it again seems to indicate that Jesus knew the thoughts of those around him. "Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts" (Matthew 9:4).

I believe that God hears your silent prayers, even if some want to demote such prayers to "just thinking." However, there are times when we need to verbalize our prayers before God. Here, David says that he voices his complaint; he states it out loud. I think one reason to lend our voice to our prayers is that sometimes when we hear our request coming out of our mouths, we have a greater sense of reality, and understand the truth of what God wants from and for us, and how foolish some of the things we say and pray for really are.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 65