How to Know that God Listens to Your Prayers

Prayer – Lord, I hear You telling me to listen. I trust that You are listening to my prayers. It’s hard to understand how You can listen to the prayers of millions of people at the same time…especially when we are encouraged by Paul to “pray constantly.” I trust You, Lord God, not only to hear my prayers…but to answer them. I’m waiting. Singing praises to You, as I wait.

Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is. Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power. Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs." Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people! He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot. There we rejoiced in him. For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations; let no rebel rise in defiance. Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises. Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling. You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs. Then you put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance. Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings to fulfill the vows I made to you—yes, the sacred vows that I made when I was in deep trouble. That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you—the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma, and a sacrifice of bulls and male goats. Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me. Psalm 66:1-20

 

Meditate. Have you confessed your sin to the Lord?

 

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! God listens. But, note that we need to confess our sin. Confession is not just a one-time thing of repentance at the time of salvation—it is an action that need to occur continually.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 John 1:8-10

If we confess…we will be forgiven. If we confess…God hears our prayers. That is a promise from God. Claim it for your life. Most importantly, obediently do what God has told us to do…confess. You know that you have sinned…I have.

 

How do you know that God listens to your prayers? His scripture tells us…and we just have to trust, to have faith that God does listen. David tells us in another Psalm about how God has heard his prayers.

God has big ears, like this jackrabbit.
He is all ears and listening.
Utah desert.

Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me. Psalm 66:16-20 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Let me tell you…that is what David is saying. Likewise, I can tell you that God not only takes away my sins…and that includes my bad attitudes…but He gives me hope for today and hope for all the tomorrows to come. Sure, some of my prayers have not been answered yet. One of my grandgirls still has dysautonomia with migraines—but I am trusting the Lord for daily improvements in her health. God is good. I trust Him. That is how I know that God listens to my prayers.

 

Verse of Salvation ~ "If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too." Ezekiel 3:20-21

[Message given to Israel by God through the prophet Ezekiel.]

 

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

 © 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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