God Listens and Answers

Acts 12:1-5 (NIV) “It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also…So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

Have you ever wondered when you were praying if the Lord was listening to you? Sometimes it is hard to tell if God has heard us because we don’t see anything change right away. The immediate feedback we get from our conversations with the Lord sometimes just isn’t there. It is tempting at those times to become discouraged or just to stop expecting to see anything happen right away. However, we must remember what the Lord has taught us through the Bible. “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24, NIV) His heart toward his children is to listen and answer. Certainly, there are times when we will not get the answer that we want. These are the times where we learn to trust that our heavenly Father knows best. But regardless of the answer we receive, we must not allow circumstances to determine our faith. Our faith rests on the Word of God. We believe God whether or not we get what we want.

The early followers of Christ went through some difficult times of persecution. Some of them, like James, were killed. The Lord’s answer to the prayers of the church (we assume that they prayed for him) on behalf of James was in effect, “I’ll allow him to be killed for My sake.” Yet, the Lord’s plan for Peter was different. An angel of God came and unlocked the prison and set him free. In both of these cases, their prayers were answered quickly, although in very different ways. We must understand that God is not the kind of God who delights in keeping us in the dark about His answers. He listens and answers us, sometimes long before we ask. Here’s the key: We need to move from wondering if God will answer to an attitude of faith that instead looks for the answer that He is giving. He is not silent. He wants us to know His mind and His heart. Let’s be on the lookout for His answers to our prayers.