Have you ever noticed that prayer can sometimes become a conversation where only one person is speaking?
We pour out our hearts to God. We tell Him about our fears, our burdens, our families, our hopes, and the needs of those we love. Scripture encourages us to do exactly that. But Psalm 85 reminds us that there is another side to prayer that many believers overlook.
After crying out to the Lord, the psalmist says something remarkable:
“I will listen to what God the Lord says.”
Psalm 85:8
He doesn’t rush away after saying “Amen.” Instead, he becomes still because he expects God to speak.
That simple decision has much to teach us.
Throughout the Bible, God has always desired a relationship with His people, not merely a religious routine. From Abraham and Moses to David and the prophets, we see men and women who not only spoke to God but learned to recognize His voice. Yeshua Himself said,
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me”
John 10:27
Prayer has never been intended as a one-way conversation. It is an invitation into fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
The Hebrew expression used in Psalm 85 carries the idea of listening attentively with expectation. The psalmist waits because he believes the Lord will answer.
And what is the first thing God speaks?
“He promises peace to His people.”
The Hebrew word is shalom.
Most people think of peace simply as the absence of conflict. But biblical shalom is far richer. It speaks of wholeness, restoration, completeness, and life brought back into God’s perfect order. It is the peace that steadies our hearts before our circumstances have changed because it rests in God’s faithfulness rather than in our situation.
How wonderful that God’s first response to His faithful people is not condemnation or fear, but peace.
The psalm continues:
“Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.”
As believers who love Israel, these words are especially meaningful. Every day we pray that God’s glory would once again be seen throughout this land and that many Jewish people would come to know Yeshua, the promised Messiah. We long to see lives restored, families healed, and hearts opened to the hope found only in Him.
The psalmist then paints one of the most beautiful pictures in all of Scripture:
“Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.”
The Hebrew word hesed describes God’s steadfast covenant love—His faithful mercy that never lets go of His people. Emet speaks of His truth and faithfulness. At the cross, we see these qualities displayed perfectly. God’s justice was fully satisfied, yet His mercy was poured out through Yeshua. In Him, truth and grace meet in perfect harmony.
Perhaps that is the invitation Psalm 85 gives every one of us.
After we’ve prayed, instead of rushing back into our busy lives, perhaps we should remain in God’s presence a little longer. His answer may not always come in the way or timing we expect, but His heart toward His children never changes. He still speaks hope to the discouraged, mercy to the weary, salvation to those who call upon Him, and shalom to those who trust in Him.
As we welcome this Shabbat, may we do more than bring our requests before the Lord. May we also quiet our hearts and listen. The God who invites us to pray is the same God who delights in speaking to His children, and His voice still brings peace, restoration, and the assurance that He is near.
Blessings and Shalom,
Pastor Israel Pochtar