He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. — Proverbs 28:9
Here is a piece of wisdom that demands our careful attention.
When we consider prayer, we are looking at something where it is we who speak to God. When we read and listen to the Word of God, it is God who speaks to us. The author of Hebrews makes this clear:
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. — Hebrews 1:1-2
Through Jesus, and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we have the Word of God — both the Incarnate Word, that is Jesus Christ Himself, and the Written Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
This is what Solomon means when he refers to the law in this proverb. The law of God is the Word of God — one of the many ways Scripture uses to describe itself. Paul writes to Timothy:
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:16-17
And Peter adds:
No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. — 2 Peter 1:20-21
A Two-Way Conversation
Our relationship with God requires communication — and that communication moves in two directions. On one side, we have the Word of God, through which the Lord speaks to us by His inspired Scripture. On the other side, we have prayer, through which we bring our needs before the Lord, acknowledge His goodness, praise and worship Him, and thank Him for all that He is and all that He has done.
The Westminster Larger Catechism expresses this well. Question 98 asks: What is prayer? The answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.
A One-Way Conversation
This is where the wisdom of Solomon cuts to the heart. When he speaks of the one who turns away his ear from listening to the law, he is describing a person who is so busy speaking to God — bringing requests, making demands — that he has no interest in what God has to say in return.
Imagine a conversation that is entirely one-sided. Imagine speaking to someone who never allows you to get a word in — who only wants to be heard and has no interest in listening. That is not a healthy relationship by any measure, and it will not stand the test of time.
This is precisely what it looks like when we come to God constantly with our prayers and our requests, demanding that He do this and that, while at the same time refusing to listen to what He has to say. Solomon tells us plainly that such a posture results not in fruitful prayer but in something far more serious — he calls it an abomination. That is a strong word. An abomination is something distasteful, filthy, and deeply offensive. And this, Solomon says, is what God considers the prayer of the one who turns his ear away from His law.
Word-Saturated Prayer
The best way to come to God in prayer, then, is not to arrive before we have listened, but after. The right approach to prayer begins with the Word of God — reading it, meditating upon it, and allowing our prayers to emerge from hearts that have been saturated by what God has already said. When we pray this way, our prayers become effective and aligned with His will, because we are praying according to what He has spoken — not simply according to our own desires and impulses.
May we approach prayer with genuine reverence — not simply showing up and listing everything we want God to do for us, but first turning our ears and our minds to what God has to say. After sitting with His Word, may we then come to Him with hearts of contrition and gratitude — to give Him glory, to praise Him, to thank Him, and then to ask. When we do this, we can trust the promise of 1 John 5:14:
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. — 1 John 5:14
Amen.
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