"The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."
— Psalm 145:18 (NIV)
Psalm 145:18 is the "the Lord is near to all who call on him" verse, a short promise about prayer from one of David's praise psalms. This page gives the verse, where it sits in Psalm 145, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about prayer, Bible verses about the presence of God, and Love and prayer.
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The verse
The King James reads: "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."
"Near" is qarob (H7138), close at hand. "Call" is qara (H7121), to call out or cry aloud. "Truth" is emet (H571), faithfulness, honesty, what is reliable.
Where it sits in Psalm 145
Psalm 145 is titled "A psalm of praise. Of David." In Hebrew it is an acrostic: its lines start with the letters of the alphabet in order. It praises God's greatness and his kindness to everyone.
Verse 8 says, "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love." Verse 14 adds, "The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." Verse 17 says, "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does." Then verse 18 brings that faithfulness close. Verse 19 follows: "He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them." The psalm ends, "My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord" (Psalm 145:21).
What the verse is saying
The great King of the earlier verses is not far away. He is near, and the way to find him close is simply to call on him.
The one condition is "in truth." That is not a demand for polished words. It means calling honestly, meaning what we say, rather than going through the motions. The word emet is also used of God's own faithfulness, so honest calling meets a God who is honest and reliable in return.
Questions people ask
What does Psalm 145:18 say?
In the NIV it says, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." The KJV says, "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."
What does Psalm 145:18 mean?
It promises that God is close to everyone who prays to him honestly. The surrounding verses add that he hears their cry and saves them (Psalm 145:19).
What does "call on him in truth" mean?
It means praying sincerely, with an honest heart. The Hebrew word emet means truth, faithfulness, and reliability.
Who wrote Psalm 145?
The title says it is "of David." It is the last psalm in the Psalter with David's name in its title, just before the closing praise psalms 146-150.
What other verses are like Psalm 145:18?
Psalm 34:18 (the Lord is close to the brokenhearted), Jeremiah 29:12-13 (you will seek me and find me), and Philippians 4:5-6 (the Lord is near; present your requests to God) are close companions.
