Have you ever felt like your prayers puffed feebly into the air like so much wispy vapor, then vanished--without accomplishing a thing?
I think we've all experienced the resounding silence of heaven and the uncertainty of whether or not a particular prayer mattered--what we may think of as a prayer bounce-back.
But when we understand that prayer is simply connecting our hearts to the Father's, and know, truly know, that He longs for that connection as much as we do, it changes our perspective.
Yes, there are times when it feels like our prayers aren't getting anywhere. But the truth is, our emotions are not a gauge to our prayers' effectiveness. The truth is, God is always listening. John 11:41-42 says "Father, I thank you that You have heard me. Yes, I know that You always hear and listen to me."
That means that regardless of how we feel, we can take comfort in the fact that God always hears us. He hears us because He is waiting and listening, the same way the mother of a newborn goes about her daily activities with her ear tuned in to the baby monitor. The moment the baby makes a squeak, mama instantly hears.
When you are tempted to think that God doesn't hear you or that your prayers don't matter, remember this:
God wants to talk with you. He's the same God who walked with Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the evening. He longs to spend time with and listen to you, as well. "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people..." Psalm 149:4a
Your prayers delight Him. I'm so glad that God doesn't rate our prayers on eloquence, finding exactly the right words, or praying exactly the right number of minutes. We don't have to check off a specific set of rules as we pray. As King David said, "Blessed be God, Who has not rejected my prayer, nor removed His mercy and loving-kindness from being (as it always is) with me." (Psalm 66:20)
He never misunderstands us. Nothing is worse than feeling upset, hurt or confused because we've been misunderstood. Years ago I lived out a particularly painful time in my marriage when I felt deeply misunderstood by my husband. God clearly revealed to me that "He knows the secrets of the heart" (Psalm 44:21b). We can say to the Lord, "You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thoughts afar off." (Psalm 139:2)
The bottom line is God knows our hearts, He longs to communicate with us, and He is always listening. So go ahead, dare to pray. And believe that God hears you. {Because He does.}
7 comments:
Praying Haley finds a match, Kelly!
Julie, I love those points. That He doesn't misunderstand us. (Ha, even when we try to put on a front-He knows.) And that He delights in our prayers. That one always gets me.
AMEN!!! Yes, LORD!
Hi Julie, I'm just now seeing the new look and feel of your website/blog. Very nice! Love the words you wrote about God never misunderstanding us -especially since I try so hard to communicate clearly (and then, of course, see my failings.) But God already knows! Sweet blessings to you today.
Too often I fall into the trap of trying to pray and worship in the "right" way (a certain order or long enough, etc.). I can always use a reminder that God delights in my prayers. Thanks for mentioning Ps. 66:20, Julie. I already had it underlined (the NIV version of it) in my Bible, but I think I'll add it to my list I'd like to memorize.
hi, Just wanted to drop by and say hello, I read your comment for Debra and i was so touched. I am so happy to meet your and I'm your newest follower.
~Emily
The French Hutch
Am just starting to "dare to pray" again.
Thank you Lxx
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