Does God Always Hear my
Prayers?
"Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew
that you always hear me..."
(John 11:41-42 NIV)
How many times have you heard, or perhaps even thought
the following question: Does God always hear my prayers?
This is a question of faith. We either believe He
listens to us and wait with anticipation to His answer, or we believe that He
does not have time for us and live accordingly with restless, haunting lives,
plagued by constant worry.
"I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers
me." (Ps 120:1 NIV)
The Bible is clear that God answers our prayers. But
it is true that He does not always answer immediately, and we have to wait on
Him. The problem is that we don't like waiting. We want it now, not later!
Especially in our day and age, when the word "later" usually means it will never
happen! If we don't get it now, we may never get it at all! Unlike humans,
however, who tend to not be true to their word, God always answers prayers.
But not always as we would expect.
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for
he who promised is faithful." (Heb 10:23 NIV)
So why does God want us to have to wait on His
answers?
The world of today, especially in the west, can
usually be characterized by the word "hectic". We rush
everywhere.
Fast-food restaurants are on the rise, instant credit is in demand, and instant
gratification is a must. However are we truly satisfied with such a "restless"
life? Or, with outstanding bills to be paid, no cash, and estranged family
members, are we left wishing for days past?
You see, waiting has huge benefits. For one thing,
waiting will help us realize that our God is, indeed, faithful.
"I wait for the LORD , my soul waits, and in his word
I put my hope." (Ps 130:5NIV)
Hope arises as we wait in faith. We truly can
anticipate a response from God, and putting our trust in His faithfulness will
help us develop trust in the One who will come through for us. It helps us to
develop trust in His Word, the Bible. Because of our waiting, we will be filled
with such awe when God comes through for us.
Unfortunately, we often don't even notice when God
answers our prayers, for we are too busy running back and forth. If we would
take the time to notice, we would be able to do nothing less than stand in awe
and admiration!
These principles are seen in many stories in the
Bible. Take, for example, the nation of Israel when they were living in bondage
in Egypt. They were in trouble and they knew it. When they lifted their voices
to heaven, did God hear them? Absolutely! "The Israelites groaned in their
slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up
to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham,
with Isaac and with Jacob." (Ex 2:23-24 NIV)
The Israelites had no idea HOW God would deliver them.
It's interesting to note the advice God gave them
through his servant Moses: "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the
deliverance the LORD will bring you today." (Ex 14:13 NIV) God was encouraging
them to continue to be still and trust in the One who would answer their
prayers!
Does God always hear my prayers? He sure does. His
promise to each one of us: "'Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue
him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.'" (Ps 91:14 NIV)
The nation of Iceland is a prime example of answered
prayers. Since its foundation in the 9th century, Christianity has always been a
part of Icelandic heritage. It's true that many of the settlers were of Nordic
origin, and they worshipped Norse gods such as Odinn and Freyja. However many of
the other settlers, such as those who came over as slaves to the Norsemen, were
Christian, and according to the oldest written records in Iceland, when the
Norsemen first arrived, they found monks already settled there, who came in
search of solitude.
In 1000 A.D., at the session of Alpingi (Parliament),
Iceland was facing a rift, and it was over the question of faith: Should they
split the nation and become two nations, one Christian, and the other pagan? Or
should one faith be chosen over the other? They were at a stalemate, a stalemate
that could lead to the destruction of the very nation. Christians all over the
island were praying for a miracle. Would God hear their plea?
A Norseman magnate, Progeir, worshipper of Odinn and
chieftain of Ljosavaln, who was also the Law Speaker at the parliament, called
the members of the parliament together and uttered the following words: "It is
true that if we divide the law, we shall also break the peace." He then ruled
that all Icelanders should be baptized into the Christians faith.
It was done as he decided. At first there were
complaints among the Norsemen, but bit by bit they fell in love with the God who
brought peace to their country. A miracle had occurred!
In 1540, the Lutheran movement came to that island,
and even today, 90% of the population are still considered Evangelical-Lutheran,
and they live in peace with one another.
Does God hear prayers?
Ask these Norsemen. They will tell us!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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