Prayer Times Acceptable to God

In Psalm 69, we read of a soul-searching prayer credited to King David. Verses 10 to 14 are provided below (KJV):

¹⁰ When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. ¹¹ I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. ¹² They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. ¹³ But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. ¹⁴ Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

In this prayer, verse 13 is revealing. The New International Version gives the following:

¹³ But I pray to you, Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.

The Benson Commentary provides the following interpretation of verse 13:

Psalm 69:13. But my prayer is unto thee — While they scoff, I will pray, and not be driven from thee, nor from prayer and other duties, by all their reproaches, or any other discouragements. In an acceptable time — Hebrew, עת רצון, gneet ratzon, in a time of grace, of good will, or good pleasure. These words may be joined, either, 1st, With the following, by way of limitation, thus: Hear me in thy accepted time, that is, I do not limit thee to any time; but when thou seest it will be best, hear and help me. Or rather, with the foregoing, as an argument to enforce his prayer: as if he had said, I pray in a time of grace, or acceptance; I seek thee when thou mayest be found, (see Psalm 32:6; Isaiah 55:6,) in a good day, as they said, 1 Samuel 25:8, in the day of grace and mercy: or, in a time of great trouble, which is the proper season for prayer, Psalm 50:15; and while I have thee engaged to me by promises, which thy honour and truth oblige thee to perform. I come not too late, and therefore do thou hear me. In the truth of thy salvation — That is, for, or according to, thy saving truth, or faithfulness; whereby thou hast promised to deliver those who trust in thee.

King David, filled with humility, left it to God to decide when God would listen to him. The verse is telling us that there is a time of prayer that is acceptable or favorable to God!

Indeed, we can deduce the same from 2 Corinthians 6:2. which reads:

² For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 

This verse is part of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, specifically in a section (2 Corinthians 5:20–6:10) where Paul passionately appeals to the Corinthians to be reconciled to God. Paul emphasizes the urgency of responding to God’s grace and reminds them of their responsibility as recipients of God’s salvation.

Purpose: Paul is urging the Corinthians to recognize that the gospel they have received is not something to be taken lightly or postponed. The “day of salvation” is now, and they must live as those reconciled to God.

Old Testament Reference: Paul quotes from Isaiah 49:8, where God speaks of a future time when He will deliver and restore His people. Paul reinterprets this prophecy, declaring that the time of fulfillment has arrived in Christ.

Isaiah 49:8 reads:

⁸ Thus says the Lord: “In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;

This verse is part of the second Servant Song in Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1–13), a passage that describes the mission of God’s Servant, who is widely interpreted as the Messiah. This Servant is called by God to bring salvation not only to Israel but also to the Gentiles, extending God’s covenant and restoring His creation.

Now, here is the most astonishing result. When we calculate the identifiers of Isaiah 49:8 and 2 Corinthians 6:2, we get:

1. Isaiah 49:8

• Book Number: Isaiah is the 23rd book of the Bible.
• Chapter Number: 49
• Verse Number: 8

Identifier=23+49+8=80

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2. 2 Corinthians 6:2

• Book Number: 2 Corinthians is the 47th book of the Bible.
• Chapter Number: 6
• Verse Number: 2

Identifier=47+6+2=55

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Total Sum of Identifiers

Thus, the total sum of the identifiers is 80+55=135.

Psalm 69:13 serves as a precursor to the themes developed in Isaiah 49:8 and 2 Corinthians 6:2. It introduces the concept of an “acceptable time” when God’s mercy and salvation are particularly accessible. Isaiah expands this theme, tying it to God’s covenant promises, and Paul ultimately declares its fulfillment in Christ, urging believers to respond without delay. Together, these verses underscore the importance of recognizing and acting upon God’s appointed times of grace and favor.

There is no contradiction between the early Christian and ancient Jewish understanding of recognizing God’s appointed times and Paul’s urging to pray continually in 1 Thessalonians 5:17—“Pray without ceasing”— because praying “without ceasing” necessarily include prescribed times of prayer. In other words, these ideas complement each other beautifully, illustrating different dimensions of spiritual awareness and discipline.

Conclusion: The eight prescribed times to pray the Lord’s Prayer, namely, {10.35am,10.53am,1.35pm,1.53pm,3.15pm, 3.51pm, 5.13pm, 5.31pm}, are times acceptable to our Father in heaven to listen to our prayers.