The Lord is Attentive

Do you ever wonder if the Lord is really listening to your prayers? Does He really hear you? It is a question I have over the years often asked myself. Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of studying on prayer and how we should pray to God. I’m currently reading Philip Yancey’s Prayer: Does it Make a Difference – which is an excellent book thus far on developing a more personal and intimate approach to prayer.

One of the big takeaways in my early studies and readings on prayer is that while we may not think God is listening – HE IS! So while we may not also see the immediate answer or “feel” like God heard us. He did. For me, recognizing that as Paul said in Acts 17:27 that we should seek the Lord in hope’s that we find it because “He IS not far from each one of us.” Once you accept that God is always close to you, then you will be able to shed the question “did God hear my prayers.”

Peter teaches us the Lord not only hears us but is ATTENTIVE or OPEN to our prayers if we try to serve him each day. So, if you find yourself wondering if God hears you and if he pays close attention to your individual prayers – the answer is most definitely yes!

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The Psalmist declares in Psalm 116: 1 that one of the reasons he loves the Lord is because the Lord “has heard my voice and my prayers.” In fact, David repeatedly proclaims his confidence that God hears his prayers throughout the Psalms.

The Apostle John teaches us that “Now this is the confidence that we have in HIM, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14 & 15).” Like David, John proclaims his confidence that we can KNOW God hears and answers are prayers.

Finally, Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; KNOCK, and it will be OPENED to you (Matthew 7:7).” This statement indicates not only that God hears us when we ask, seek, and knock and that He WILL respond to us.

So, the next time you are unsure if God heard you. Just remind yourself – “The eyes of the Lord on are the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayers.”