Have you ever talked to someone and you knew they were not listening? Maybe they acknowledged by a nod, or an “uh huh,” but you could have said the sky was green and they would have agreed. I have, and it is sometimes frustrating. Another aspect of listening can be that they hear you, but they misunderstand you. That happens a lot! Sometimes it is in our failure to be clear, and sometimes it is in their perception. There will always be times like that with people, but not with God. Not only does he hear us, but he understands us better than we understand ourselves. He not only knows how we feel but why we feel that way.
I Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”
He hears those who are in right standing with Him. His ears are open, meaning He is listening.
I John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
We can be sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt that if we are asking for something that is according to His will, not only does he hear it he answers it. He longs to hear and show himself strong in our lives.
Psalm 66:19 “But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.”
This verse in Psalm 66:19 does two things. It assures me that God hears me, but it also assures me that there is no sin that I am hanging on to. I have forsaken and repented of any known sin in my life. How do I know this? Because the verse before this says he will not hear me if I regard iniquity, meaning sin, in my life.
Psalm 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”
Now we come to the condition of God hearing our prayers. He listens and answers those who are His. The only prayer he will hear of those who are not His children is “Father forgive me, I believe in Jesus and repent of my sins.” After a prayer from the heart like that, God forgives and takes you as His child. Then, and only then, will he hear your prayers.
John 9:31 “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.“
I know God hears me because I am His child. He even reads my thoughts and knows me well according to Hebrews 4:13.
Hebrews 4:13 “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”
I don’t always get the answer I ask for, but I get the one that is best for me. My confidence does not wavier if the answer is not what I wanted. I know that he loves me far too much for me to doubt His goodness. He is doing what is best for me even if I don’t see it yet. I accept His answer with great anticipation. If I thought what I wanted was good, I can get excited with anticipation that what he is giving is better. Romans 8:28 teaches me that everything will work for my good if I love Him and I am living according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
I know my God listens to me. I sometimes wonder if he is like a mother waiting for a call from her child. Every time the phone rings she thinks it is the one she is waiting for. Is God waiting for you to call on Him? Have you met the conditions of being His child? If so, call Him today and often. He is listening and ready to talk to you.
