“Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help…Blessed be the Lord!  For he has heard my pleas for mercy.”  (Ps. 28:2 & 6)

The Prayer of the Day picks up the theme of hearing and mercy.  “O Lord, let your merciful ears be open to the prayers of your humble servants.”  When we pray for mercy, God hears with merciful ears.

But we have another request.  “Grant that what we ask may be in accord with Your gracious will.” We recognize that “your humble servant” may want the Lord to act according to my will.  Therefore, we not only ask that the Lord listen with merciful ears, but that God would also grant us the gift of praying for what accords with the Lord’s will, lest your humble servant turn out to be not so humble.

With the gift of humble prayer, I can declare, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts and I am helped.”  Then I can exult and with a song in my heart give thanks to the Lord. (Ps. 28:7)