Are You Listening, Lord?

We’ve all cried this in our hearts and minds….

…when we’ve  convinced ourselves the Lord isn’t hearing our prayers and we need to beg Him to listen. Or should I say whine?

Deep in our hearts, we know this prayer is wrong.

Of course, He can hear us.

He’s omnipotent and omniscient. Not only does He hear everything, the Scriptures tell us that He knows what we’re going to say, before we say it.

Psalm 139:4
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.

The problem is on our end.

Just like with our own children.  The majority of the time, they hear us. Especially when we’ve raised our voices just a teensy-weensy bit.

• They might ignore us, because they want to do something other than what we asked them to do.
• They might choose to disregard what we said because they don’t think we know what’s best for them.
• They might ignore us because they’re upset with us.

The issue is rarely their ears. As God’s children, we’re not that different.

• We don’t think He’s listening, because we want an answer NOW.
• We don’t think He’s listening,  because we aren’t getting our own way.
• We don’t think He’s listening, because we’re walking a path we never planned.

David felt this way, so I guess we’re in good company.

In Psalm 102:1-2 he cries out,  "Hear my prayer, O Lord! And let my cry for help come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call answer me quickly.”

In verse 4 he’s too distressed to eat. Do you know that feeling? "My heart is stricken and withered like grass, So  I forget to eat my bread."

In verse 9 his tears are flowing. "I mingled my drink with weeping."

David understood what it was to be distraught, alone and feeling forsaken. We must understand these feelings come from our circumstances and people on earth, not our relationship with our Savior. He promised to never leave or forsake us.

To find the David’s solution for this distress, follow his spiritual progress through the Psalms. He quickly recovers from his despair.

Psalm 103:1, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name.

Psalm 105:1, "Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name"

Psalm 106:1, "Praise the Lord!….His mercy endures…

Psalm 108:1, "O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise…"

Psalm 112:1, "Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,”

Psalm 116:1-2, "I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.”

God did not move.

God did not change.

God did not open His ears or His heart any more.

The change came from David, who praised the Lord’s Name and His Holy character until He believed His prayers were heard.

Now we know what to do when we don’t feel like God is answering our prayers.

Pray longer.

Praise more.

Give thanks.

Show love.

Call upon Him as long as we live.

The Lord’s ears are working just fine.  It’s our job to fill them with the burdens of our heart and believe He is listening and answering, in His way and in His time.