Often when I encourage people to pray about something they will hesitate and even say, “I don’t want to bother God with my problems, or He’s too busy with bigger things to be interested in my life.”
This however is not how the God I know works or thinks. He longs to answer our prayers and the desires of our hearts. To show Himself strong on our behalf and to let us know He is present with us.
He actually hears and is attentive to our needs, wants, concerns and desires. He answers us far more than we think or often expect.
I love how God will whisper quietly where I should park in a busy shopping centre, or guide me in which way to go when I get myself lost driving and my GPS is failing. Or how He will speak and answer my prayers about one of our six kids when I am worried about them or need Him to intervene in a situation. He has repeatedly secured appointments, bumped us up on waiting lists, provided teachers, medical doctors, holidays, friends and support as I’ve brought it to Him in prayer. He’s caused plane tickets to suddenly go down in price within seconds of us praying, made money and food multiply to provide for us, and opened doors for us that were previously closed shut. He’s healed from sickness, performed miracles and astounded us on more than one occasion. The more I think about how many answers to prayer I’ve had – both in the everyday and more significant events, the more in awe I am of the fact that God actually hears and answers us.
Yet how easy it is, even with our accounts of God showing up and off in our lives, do we still allow ourselves to feel the twinge of fear and worry. The thoughts of what-if, what are you doing and how long are you going to take to answer God?
When I find myself in this place, wondering why God’s taking longer than I want or I’m slipping into fear, I’m learning not to ask, “Why God”, but instead to think about what I do know. What do I know of God? What does His Word say? What has He done before in answer to my prayers? What has He spoken and revealed to me? What Word has He given me to stand upon, pray and go into battle with?
When I focus on what I know of God and what I see in His word, prayer becomes automatic, faith filled and expectant. Plus I am no longer really hugely surprised when He exceeds my request or expectations. He is waiting and looking for ways to show Himself strong in our lives, and if we’d bother to ask instead of doubting, grumbling, worrying or looking elsewhere for answers, we might just notice and see Him answer far more often.
God hears and answers you when you pray. He still performs miracles, He still heals, He still provides and He’s waiting right now for you to pray today.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (John 5:14-15)
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:12)
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Matthew 11:24)
Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.” (Jeremiah 1:12)
Prayer: Lord I’m bringing my requests to you today. According to your Word I’m asking for you to ………………… I thank you that you are faithful, that your word is true, that you desire to show yourself strong in my life today. In Jesus name Amen.