He Hears
Whether you feel like God is there or not, He is. When you feel like your prayers get no higher than the ceiling, God hears and cares. God’s Word tells us something that we must embrace every day of our lives: When the world has overwhelmed us, God’s compassion sustains us. He hears, He cares, He acts on our behalf.
I love 1John 5:14-15: “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”
This verse is sometimes used like a blank check. Ask whatever and you’ll get it. Wrong! The key phrase in this regard is “whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” This is a challenge to practice labored praying, not lazy praying. We often flippantly ask for things from God and wonder why He doesn’t answer. Maybe we’re asking for the wrong things. God is not going to give us something that is bad for us just because we ask. Like a little child with limited understanding, we don’t always understand what we really need or what plan the Father has for us. The key is to dialog with God (through listening and talking) to such a degree that we come to grips with what His will is. Then we can pray with confidence and clarity, knowing that we are asking for things that God is waiting to give us.
Right beside our bathroom mirror hangs a simple framed verse which reads, “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly,” Psalm 5:3. Every morning, I am reminded, not only to pray, but to pray with expectation! God really hears and wants to give us what is best. He wants to help us bear the burdens we must bear that day. He wants to assist us in climbing the mountain we must climb in the hours ahead. He is listening whether I feel it or not.
Oh—God is good. God hears your prayer. Will you entrust Him with it?
