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Is He Listening?
“Are you paying attention to God?” “Do you understand what is happening to me?” “Sometimes it feels as if God isn’t listening to me.” All these words come from people who are trying to “stay strong” in their walks with God in the midst of difficult challenges. Their hearts ache. Their pain is intense. They cannot eat or sleep. Their grief is overwhelming. They are hoping for “good news.”
All of these petitions to God by faithful, godly Christians are all being heard at the throne of God. However, what are we to think when we repeatedly ask God for something good and the “good” does not come? When the answer does not come soon, is He listening or not?
Look at the life of the Savior. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He agonized for hours in prayer, pouring out His heart and pleading, “Let this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39). The Father’s answer was clearly, “No.” The cup would not pass. To provide salvation, God had to send Jesus to die on the cross. Even though Jesus felt as if His Father had forsaken Him, He prayed intensely and passionately because He trusted God to listen.
When you pray and there is no visible evidence of how God is working, the solution is trust and patience. Surrender your rights, and let God do what is best. Leave the unknowable to the all-knowing Creator of heaven and earth. He is listening and working things out His way. God will bend His ear and listen when you continue bending your knees, bowing your head, and humbly speaking with Him as the answer to your trouble.
