What We Know
O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. 1 Chronicles 16:34
O Give Thanks – David knew what he was doing when he assigned Asaph the task of giving thanks to God. Asaph’s prayer, recorded in 1 Chronicles 16:8 to 36 is a powerful example all of us. In the final stanzas, we find this single word, hodu (from the root yadah). Jews would read this phrase as hodu la adonai, substituting the word “Lord” for God’s name (Yahweh) out of respect. You might consider remembering this phrase. It introduces us to another aspect of the Hebrew idea of prayer because the root word, yadah, means an acknowledgement of what is true about God, expressed in praise and thanksgiving.
Yadah is also found in Leviticus 26:40 where it implies a right relationship before God. Prayer is pointless if the one praying stands outside of God’s goodness. Prayer assumes that I am obedient to the faithful God. God doesn’t answer the prayers of rebels. Yadah shows up in the prayers of the whole congregation (Psalm 100:4), but it is also a part of prayers for personal rescue (Psalm 88:11).
This is what we know: God is good. My prayers begin and end with this fact. God is good. Prayer flows over and around and through this proclamation. God is good. When I pray, I confess and acknowledge the goodness of God. That’s really the reason that I pray. If God were not good, prayer would be pointless.
Hodu la adonai is well worth incorporating into your prayer. In fact, without it prayer is worse than pointless. It is worthless. In the end, all prayer depends on the goodness of God and all prayer accepts God’s response as the expression of His goodness. Prayer confesses that I don’t know anything except what I know for sure: God is good. He always acts according to His character. His answers are always in line with Who He is. Prayer is my way of saying, “Father, may Your goodness be the guide of my life. Not my will, but Yours be done, for I know only this – that You are good.”
