My husband, Greg, has always coached youth athletic teams. Even before we were married, he coached boys’ little league teams and served as a mentor for 13 year old baseball players, and when he began coaching our own children’s teams, I loved to watch him interact with the little people surrounding him. Mostly I loved his posture. He would kneel down next to the boys -eye to eye, cheek to cheek, shoulder to shoulder. There were times when he would kneel down so far that the boys would be looking down into his eyes. Sometimes he would be just the right height to catch their little disappointed heads on his shoulder. If he was excited about their accomplishments, he would meet them on one knee only long enough to get his arms around them and then lift them up into a giant bear size hug. One time a little boy came to him for some “batting” advice and ended up sitting on Greg’s extended knee as if it was his own personal bench.
“I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath.”
— Psalm 116: 1-2
I love the imagery of this passage as if God would “take a knee” to hear our prayer. Like he would bend down next to us to encourage, guide, and embrace us in our disappointment, just as my husband has always done with his baseball players. But that’s exactly what the Lord does do. When we offer up our prayers. we can know that He has been eye to eye, cheek to cheek, and shoulder to shoulder with us in His son Jesus. When we listen to His promises, we can be lifted up if we are facing difficulties. When we are unsure about what to do next, or how to improve our “game,” we can be assured that the coaching we get from the Lord of Lords will be the very best guidance. There is not one thing in our lives that God cannot understand and give us the power to endure, overcome, and use for His glory. As we kneel before him in prayer he joins us, on our level, and listens. I will pray as long as I have breath!