Prayer is a crucial part of the Christian's life. The Christian lives and thrives through a personal, intimate relationship with God Himself. One of the ways believers develop their relationship with the Father is through prayer.
Many of us, however, pray and get no favourable response. We've been waiting on God to say something to us and end up being frustrated when, after a long period of time, God remains silent. Because of this, some of us would ask, "does God hear my prayers?"
Apparently, He does.
God Knows
Friends, the Bible tells us that God is all-knowing. Nothing escapes His sight and His ears, and there is nothing that is hidden from Him. He knows us all very well. In Psalm 139:1-4, we read just how much God knows us:
"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I get up; You understand my thought from far off. You search my path and my lying down and are aware of all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it fully."
The last verse there simply says that God knows what we are going to say long before the words come out of our mouths. Thus, He knows what we want to pray for even before we pray. He knows it fully.
Consider also Psalm 38:9, which says, "Lord, all my desire is before You, and my sighing is not hidden from You." God knows our desires and wants even before we admit them. Nothing escapes Him.
He Does Hear
Based on these verses, we know and understand that God hears our prayers. We understand that even before we pray, God already knows what we think and what we'll do. And yes, He wants to respond and will actually respond.
God does hear our prayers, even our slightest cries. And He responds, even in ways that we can't comprehend or expect at times.
The problem here, friends, lies not in God's ability to hear and listen to our requests, but in our inability to be patient and totally submissive to the Lord our God.
How God Responds
God responds in different ways to what we pray for. Sometimes He gives us what we ask for, especially if we ask according to His will. Sometimes, He doesn't give what we ask for – because He has something better in mind.
Think about it. God isn't deaf at all. He hears us as clearly as can be, and wants to give us nothing but the best.
