Origin of Unbelieving Prayers

Scripture:
All you have made will thank you, Lord;
the faithful will bless you.
Psalm 145:10

Observation: As the psalmist continues to praise the Lord, he delineates between two types of people. One is people of faith, who believe in Yahweh. They will give glory to God, blessing his name with their praise, and teaching everyone else about his wonder and glory. However, the second is everyone else. This group is included in terms like "all" and "everyone". They are still blessed and loved by God. Even more interesting is this fact ... though they do not have faith, they will thank the Lord.

Application: I have very, very often seen something I cannot understand ... people who actively declare they do not have any faith and perhaps do not believe in God - and certainly don't believe in Jesus - praying. They prayers may not be structured, but they are intentional and clearly directed to God. They may be for help or thanks. They are often a spontaneous word triggered by an event. And I have often wondered how in the world such statements can be made. If a person has absolutely no belief that God exists, what could possibly occur in their mind that would produce any kind of response directed to God?

This action is predicted by this psalm. ALL will thank the Lord. Everyone knows somewhere in their hearts that God exists, and that knowledge will come out. Yes, they have lies told to them, and their response to believing those lies is that the repress the knowledge and feelings that there is a creator who loves them ... but they know it.

Again I am reminded that one evidence of the Lord lies in the fact that all humans have an internal, embedded knowledge that something like the Lord must exist. This is not a learned aspect of human existence, but quite the opposite ... it is known despite earthly learning and worldly influences to the contrary.

Prayer: Lord, at this moment, so many people who actively declare they do not believe in you are crying out to you. Some are doing it by name, and others are doing it even with so little understanding that they do not know any name for you. Please hear them and give them your love, even when they return ambivalence to you. May we have the ability and opportunity to teach them of your love. Amen.