Glimpses of Prevenient Grace

Yesterday I did the "Madame Guyon practice" and just picked up my Bible and started reading slowly. The Bible opened to Psalm 40.

I waited patiently for the LORD;
He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit
Out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock
And gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
A hymn of praise to our God.
Psalm 40:1-3

How many times have I read that passage? Who could count?

But this is the first time (Thank you, Madame Guyon) that I really noticed the wording of the second line: He turned to me and heard my cry.

God turned toward the Psalmist, and THEN He heard his cry. The Psalmist was waiting patiently.....so he must not have started his cry until the LORD turned toward him..

I flipped back to Exodus, chapter 3. God says to Moses, "I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering." So the LORD saw and then heard their cries.

Then there is the record of Adam and Eve. After their sin, they hid. God came to them. They didn't run to Him. He came to them first. He sought them out so He could show them His grace.

"We love Him because He first loved us." (I John 4:19)

Prevenient Grace

People used to talk about Prevenient Grace. I don't hear much about it these days.


Prevenient Grace is divine grace which precedes human decision. It exists prior to and without reference to anything humans may have done.

So God's grace existed for them before they needed it, or before they realized they needed it.

Looking back to Psalm 40: God gave the poet a new song, a song of praise.

Did David ask for the song?