Yes, God Hears Our Prayers

"It is good for us to keep some account of our prayers, that we may not unsay them in our practice." - Matthew Henry

A perennial question raised by Christians is directed at God's response to prayer. "Does He hear us, and will He answer us?" I feel that it is best to let Scripture itself guide us and provide a satisfactory explanation.

1 John 5:14–15 gives us a short, but direct answer. "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." No doubt many would be satisfied with this alone; but there's more to it.

We ask for many things, some good and some not so much. No matter, God listens patiently and lovingly listens to them all; that we can be sure of (Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1-8; Matthew 6:6; Romans 8:26-27).

Contrary to what some might believe, God is not a puppet who dances to our tune whenever we need something from Him. We cannot make Him give us what we want, either.

God appreciates honesty, not only in our hearts, but in our prayers, as well. Make no mistake, He knows us inside and out. Nothing is hidden from His eyes (Psalm 139:1; Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 16:17).

We must always be mindful that we may not like God's response to our request. This is not meant to deter us from praying, but rather, to be real, or be honest about the outcome.

In prayer, stay mindful and attentive to things that respect and praise God, and that clearly demonstrate God's will according to Scripture. Anything less that that will more than likely go unanswered (Luke 11:2).

God's wisdom is infinite. Trust that the His answer will never be spiteful or unkind. He knows exactly what we need, how much we need, and when we need it. God's answers are custom made just for you and no one else (Isaiah 55:9).

Scripture: John 15:7; James 4:3; 2 Peter 3:9; John 14:14; Matthew 21:22 

Prayer: Dear Lord, may my prayers honor and glorify You always, amen.

Stay blessed,

Kate