Does God really hear my prayers?
Yes. Because of Jesus, believers pray with bold confidence that God hears them, not on the basis of their own worthiness but on the basis of Christ's. Scripture also calls us to pray in faith, in His will, with unconfessed sin dealt with, and with hearts that do not ask selfishly.
This question arose from studying How do I pray?.
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What the Scripture says
He hears those who come through Christ
This is the confidence we have in Him: if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know He hears us, we know we have what we asked. Because of Jesus we draw near to the throne of grace with boldness, to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.
Ask in His name, and He answers with joy
Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. To ask in His name is to ask according to who He is and what He wants, and the Father delights to answer that.
“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.
Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.
Hindrances are real: unconfessed sin and selfish motives
If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not listen. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your pleasures. The Lord's hand is not too short to save, but your iniquities have made a separation.
If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn’t have listened.
You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
Behold, Yahweh’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save; neither his ear heavy, that it can’t hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Faith and persistence are the posture
Let him ask in faith, without doubting. Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. We keep what we ask in alignment with God's revealed will, and we ask in faith, because He rewards those who seek Him.
But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
Continue this trail
Why does God seem silent when I pray?→“Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.”Why pray 'your will be done' if God already has a will?→“Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.”How do I know God's voice from my own thoughts?→“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”What is fasting, and does it belong with prayer?→““Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.”What does it mean to pray in the Holy Spirit?→“In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.”What does it mean to pray in Jesus' name?→“Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.”Does God still speak today?→“God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.”Does prayer change God's mind?→“Yahweh repented of the evil which he said he would do to his people.”To whom do we direct our prayers?→“Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”What is the relationship between prayer and giving?→“But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”What do I do when I feel far from God?→“How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”Explore further
What does God's peace actually feel like?→Anxiety & Peace trail“In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.”We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
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Verses to meditate on
This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.
You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
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