The Listening God: Intercessory Prayer in the Qur'an and the Psalms

The Listening God:
Intercessory Prayer in the Qur’an and Psalms

Good afternoon everybody.

First of all, I would like to express my thanks to those who organized this meaningful event, especially to Dr Linda, The director of the Center for Theological and Spiritual Development at the College of Saint Elizabeth. Thank you for inviting me to Abraham’s Table Luncheon. It is my honor to pray to God Almighty here together with devout people like you.

Let me quote some verses from the Qur’an to start my presentation.

• “Call unto your Lord humbly, and in the secrecy of your hearts.” 7: 55

• “And bring your Lord to remembrance in your very soul humbly and with awe, and without raising your voice in the mornings and evenings; and do not allow yourself to be heedless.” 7: 205

• “If any one does evil or wrongs her own soul, but afterwards prays God to forgive her, she will find God much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.” 4: 110

• “SAY: “No value would my Lord attach to you were it not for your prayer.” 25: 77

Thus the Qur’an encourages human beings to turn to God in supplication. And, the very meaning of human existence is placed in prayer. The basic duty calling of human beings is belief and supplication. Belief necessitates supplication.

The ability to realize the transcendent presence implied by the very existence of the universe and our lives is a precious human capacity. Belief in God, as the unseen powerful, merciful and beautiful Sustainer of reality is the highest human achievement. And belief in God necessitates in supplicating to God.

Indeed, the believers find themselves always praying as a consequence of their belief. But we also hear people complaining about their prayers not being heard or not accepted. But all of the Holy Scriptures state that every supplication is answered. For example, these verses in the Qur’an states clearly:

• “And your Lord says: “Call unto Me, and I shall answer you!” 40: 60
• “AND IF My worshippers ask you about Me - behold, I am near; I respond to the prayer of every petitioner, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way.” 2: 186


Similarly, in the Bible we read, 2 Chronicles, 7: 14 “and then my people whom I have named my own, humble themselves and pray to me and seek me and turn back from their evil ways, I shall hear from heaven and forgive their sins and restore their land.”

Why then do we sometimes feel that God is not responding to us? Perhaps we need to pay attention to the difference between answering the prayer and accepting it. Just because we did not get what we asked for does not mean our prayer was ignored. Indeed, every supplication is answered, but it being accepted and exactly what was sought being given is dependent on Almighty God’s wisdom. For example, if a sick child calls the doctor, and the doctor answers: “Here I am, what do you want?” The child says: “Give me that medicine!” The doctor will either give her exactly what she asks for or something better and more beneficial for her. Or knowing that medicine is harmful for her illness, he will give her nothing.

Thus, since Almighty God is all-present and all-seeing, He responds to the supplications of His worshipers. Through His presence and response, He transforms misery of loneliness into familiarity. But He does this, not in accordance with human being’s pressing demands, but in accordance with the requirements of His perfect wisdom. He gives either what is sought or what is better than it, or He gives nothing at all.

Also, supplication is a form of worship and recognition of human being’s impotence before God. We are here to know who our Lord, the Absolute Truth of Existence, is and educate ourselves in order to get ready to face Him in the eternal life; the life in the hereafter. Thus prayer is an opportunity to remember who we are: we are constantly receiving the Creator’s care, and we are fully dependent of Him. This is what really matters in prayer. Otherwise, we are not informing God of a need that he overlooked. When I prayer for my illness, I am not informing the Creator of all about a situation He is not aware of. Rather, it is an opportunity for me to articulate my belief: that there is meaning to life, that there is One who is in control of my situation and that I trust His wisdom and mercy,

As Jesus said before he taught us how to pray, “…God, your father knows what your needs are before ever you ask Him.” Matthew, 6: 8, we still state our neediness before Him, assuring that whatever we have all is given to us by Him.

The aims of supplication pertaining to this transient word are the times of a particular sort of supplication and worship. For example, the visitation of calamities and infliction of harmful things are the times of certain supplications when human beings realize their impotence and through their supplication and entreaty seek refuge at the Court of One Possessing Absolute Power. Even if the calamities are not lifted despite many supplications, it may NOT be said that they were not accepted. It should rather be said that the time for the supplication is not yet over. If through His graciousness and generosity Almighty God removes the calamity; that is fine. Then the time for that supplication is over and done with. That is to say, supplication has the meaning of worship and human beings’ acknowledging their neediness before God.

As for worship, it should be purely and sincerely for God’s sake. Human beings should only proclaim their impotence and seek refuge with Him through supplication; they should not interfere in His Pure Wisdom. They should leave the taking of measures to Him and rely on His wisdom. They should not accuse His Mercy.

Another point crucial to the Qur’an (and the Bible, I believe) is that supplicating to God is not a human act only (though humans do it their uniquely conscious way) When we really think that all beings offer their own particular glorification and worship, we realize that what rises to the Divine Court from all the universe is nothing but supplication. This is either through their innate ability like the supplication of plants, through which they seek forms from God the Creator in order to display and manifest on themselves His Names. From a seed in the right temperature and humidity, or from an embryo planted in a uterus, prayers raise to Heaven: “God! Make me, the tiny little seed, to flourish into an oak tree,” or “God! Make me grow into an intricate human baby!”
Or it is through the innate needs of animate beings. They make supplications for all their essential needs which are obviously beyond their power to obtain. A cat sniffing her way to the prey, is actually offering a prayer for her daily bread, albeit unconsciously! For, all these beings seek certain things from the Absolutely Generous One for the continuance of their lives, like a sort of sustenance. Or it is through the urgent needs of all beings with spirits who find themselves in some plight or predicament. They make supplication and seek urgent refuge with the All-Compassionate Lord. We know of stories of people in the midst of an emergency cry out to the Lord, even though they are not fully conscious of God.
If there is nothing to prevent it as determined by the All-Wise God, these three sorts of supplication are always accepted.

The poverty of trees and the face of the earth itself in wintertime and their glittering wealth and riches in springtime act as mirrors in most unequivocal fashion to the power and mercy of an Absolutely Powerful One, the One of Absolute Riches. It is as though all beings are making supplication through their disposition, saying:

“O God, You are our Lord, for we are mere petitioners; we are powerless to sustain and raise ourselves. That is to say, the One Who sustains us is You!

It is You Who is the Creator, for we are creatures, we are being made!

It is You Who is the Provider, for we are in need of provision, we have no power! That is to say, the One Who creates us and bestows on us our provision is You!

You are the Ever-Living, Ever-Enduring One, because we are dying, and in our dying and in our being resurrected we see the manifestation of a perpetual giver of life! You are ever-Enduring, because we see Your continuation and Your being perpetual in our demise and transience!

The One Who responds to us and answers us; the Granter of Grace is You. For all of us beings, we are ever crying out and requesting, entreating, imploring by tongue and by disposition. And our desires are brought about, our aims are achieved. That is to say, the One Who answers us is You! And so on.

Every creature is a mirror, in a form that has the meaning of supplication. All proclaim the Divine power and perfection through their impotence, poverty and deficiency.

So we should keep in mind that our human prayers are part of a larger ‘community’ of prayers that arise from plants, animals, and all souls in times of urgent need.

And also, we should keep in mind that there are two types of prayers we do. Our supplication to God is two sorts: one is active and by disposition, and the other, verbal and with the heart. For example, having recourse to causes is an ACTIVE PRAYER. To gather together causes is not in order to create the effect, but taking up an acceptable position in order to seek the effect from Almighty God. Planting a seed and watering it is not “growing” the plant, but is an active prayer asking the Creator to create a plant….etc. This kind of prayers is accepted in the great majority of cases.

The second sort is to offer supplication with the tongue and the heart. It is to seek certain wishes which the human hand cannot reach. The most important aspect, the most beautiful aim, the sweetest fruit of this kind of supplication is this: The one who offers the supplication knows that there is Someone Who hears the wishes of the heart, Whose hand can reach all things, Who can bring about each of her desires, Who takes pity on her impotence, and answers her poverty.

So, we should not neglect a means like supplication, which is the key to the treasury of mercy and to an inexhaustible strength. We should cling to it! As the most excellent pattern of creation, we, the conscious human beings, should include in our prayers, the dispositional supplications of all other creatures in the universe and say:

“In the Name of God, the most Merciful, the most Gracious.
All praise is due to God alone, the Lord of all the worlds, the Most Merciful, the most Gracious. Master of the moment when the judgment is made. You alone do WE (that is, all creatures) worship; and unto You alone do WE (again, all creatures) turn for aid. Guide us the straight way. The way of those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessings, not of those who have been condemned, nor of those who go astray.” Amen! That was the first chapter of the Qur’an.

Prayer, in fact, is nothing more than to express how we recognize God with His characteristic qualities. Psalms is full of examples of this. When I read Psalms I found myself so humbled before God beseeching His aid and telling Him how I perceive Him.

Let’s listen to some pieces from Psalms and join the supplications of David, who is the most earnest lover of God:

“But I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer; my God, do not delay.” 40: 17

“God! Be gracious to me; be gracious, for I have made you my refuge.
I shall seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until the storms are past.” 57: 1

“Listen, Lord, and give me an answer, for I am oppressed and poor.
Guard me, for I am faithful; save your servant who puts his trust in you.
You are my God.
Show me your favor, Lord; I call to you all day long.” 86: 1-3

Lord, teach me your way, that I may walk in your truth. Let me worship your name with undivided heart.” 86: 11

Let’s listen to some verses from Psalm 103; we will hear how David describes his comprehension of the Lord:

“Bless the Lord my soul; with all my being I bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul; forget none of his benefits.
He pardons all my wrongdoing and heals all my ills.

The Lord, is compassionate and gracious, long-suffering and ever faithful; he will not always accuse or nurse his anger for ever.
He has not treated us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our misdeeds.

Lastly, shall we join David singing Hallelujah? Psalms, 148: 1-13. I really love this song.

Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars; praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for by his command they were created; he established them for ever and ever by his ordinance which will never pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and ocean depths; fire and hail, snow and ice, gales of wind that obey his voice; all mountains and hills; all fruit trees and cedars; wild animals and all the cattle, creeping creatures and winged birds.

Let kings and all commoners, princes and rulers over the whole earth, youths and girls, old and young together, let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name is high above all others, and his majesty above earth and heaven.

Let’s celebrate all together David’s Song of “hallelujah”. Come on, join me once more to say hallelujah, HAL-LE-LU-JAH!

Let us offer our prayers with the awareness that our Sustainer hears us, loves us, and has limitless wisdom and power. Even when we are not given what we asked for, we are heard and responded to, with what is better. Let us use our needs as opportunities to express our neediness before the Gracious One. Let us pray with the awareness that all the creation is constantly praying to the Merciful, getting their needs and potentials fulfilled only through God!

Thank you for being patient with me.

Ali Mermer