Does God Really Hear Our Prayers?

There have been times in my life when I felt like I was praying and praying, yet my prayers weren't being answered. You may have experienced something similar, or perhaps all your prayers have been answered immediately, which is amazing.

  In my own life, there have been times when I prayed and saw my prayers answered within minutes, hours, or days. But there have also been times when I prayed the same prayer for days, weeks, months, and even years without an apparent answer.

 When this happens, it is sometimes easy to question whether God is listening to our prayers. Does He hear us praying? Does He care about us and our prayers? Is He too busy to listen to us? What’s the point in praying if the prayers don't get answered? It’s easy to get caught up in these questions and doubts. Especially when the prayers are difficult ones that we want an immediate answer to. 

  As I reflect on my life and think of all the prayers I’ve prayed, I see moments where I know God has heard and answered them. But there are also prayers I have been praying for years that are still seemingly going unanswered, or at least not answered the way I think they should be.

  I know that God hears our prayers, every one of them. Even the smallest ones, when we don’t always know what to say. And there are times when I’m praying, and I don’t have the words or don’t know what to say. But that’s when I remember what Romans 8:26-27 tells us:

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. The Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.” 

 These verses tell us that all we need to do is moan, groan, or cry out, and the Holy Spirit takes it to the Lord, God, who knows all our hearts, knows exactly what we’re thinking or how we are feeling. I know this thought or idea may seem strange to some people, but it is true. It has happened to me in my own life.

There have been times when tears streamed down my face; I was broken, and I felt hopeless. I didn’t have the words to say; I didn’t know where to begin. But I cried out. All I had to say was, “God”. And God knew exactly what I was thinking and what I needed. Our prayers aren’t always about the words but about the heart behind them. God doesn’t care how many words we use or how fancy our prayers are. He wants us to go to Him with every little thing. And I promise you, He is listening, and He cares.

 Now that we’ve established that God is listening and hears our prayers, no matter how short they are. I want to tell you about one of the many times God has been faithful and answered prayers in my life. There have been many answered prayers over the years, but I’ll spare you the details of all the small ones, even though those matter as much as the big ones. And there have been many small answered prayers that have changed my life. But here is one of the bigger ones that I pray will give you hope and encourage you to keep praying, no matter how hopeless or pointless it may seem.

  A couple of years ago, I was in a situation that left me feeling alone and broken. I felt like I didn’t have a community or close friends. I spent most days and nights feeling alone, trying to find a place to belong and praying for friends to share life with. I did have friends, but felt like I couldn’t reach out to them. I started praying, asking God to bring people into my life with whom I could share my life- people who would pray with and for me, people I could pray for, people I could worship God with, people who would meet me where I am and pray for me, people who would encourage me, people who would hold me accountable and point me in the right direction when I started to slip, people who would help me grow in my faith, and people who would help me live a life filled with adventure and that honors God above all.

 Friend, I am here to tell you that less than two years later, God has answered every part of that prayer. He strengthened the friendships I already had. He brought people into my life who met all the qualities that I was praying for in friends and community. He gave me people who I get to worship Him with. People I get to travel with. People who pray with and for me. People I get to pray for. People who listen to my concerns and whatever I am facing. People who hold me accountable and point me in the right direction. People who help me live a life filled with adventure and honor God.

  There are times when I reflect on the days I felt so alone and marvel at how great God has been. He brought people into my life that I never expected. There were days when I noticed a new relationship starting, and I would smile. Because I knew the Lord was working and providing me with another friend. He provided me with an even bigger and better community than I could have gotten on my own.

  But what about the unanswered prayers? The ones you have been praying for a long time. The ones that make you feel like a broken record when you’re praying. The ones you have pleaded with God for time after time without an obvious answer. Or the ones that get answered in a way you weren’t expecting or hoping for. How do we handle these?

  I feel like these prayers are the hardest ones. These are the prayers that make you question God and His goodness. But then I’m reminded of Jesus’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion. Luke 22:42-44 tells us:

 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. Then an angel from Heaven appeared and strengthened Him. He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.”

  This was Jesus’s prayer to God about His own life at that moment. Jesus knew He was about to be crucified and die a gruesome death. He knew God could prevent it if it were His will. And Jesus was powerful enough that He could have stopped them from crucifying Him. But Jesus chose to pray and let God’s will be done. He surrendered himself and His desires to God, no matter how hard it was or how stressed He felt. He was in agony; He was sweating blood! I have been stressed in my life, but never to the point of sweating blood. But even then, Jesus chose to pray to God and let His will be done. He surrendered his desires and will to God, even if it meant He would die on the cross.

  So, God did answer Jesus’s prayer, just maybe not in the way Jesus had hoped. God still allowed Jesus to be crucified on the cross, but God sent an angel to strengthen Him. God was with Him in that moment. And if Jesus had not died on that cross, our prayer for salvation would not have been answered. We would still be lost, trying to find our Savior. Death wouldn’t have been defeated. We wouldn’t have the hope we do today because Jesus died on the cross. He defeated death and rose again so that all our sins may be forgiven, and we can have eternal life if we accept Him into our lives. Because Jesus’s prayer wasn’t answered the way He hoped, we get to have eternal life in Heaven.

  How does this look in my life? What’s the prayer I am praying or have prayed in the past, that doesn’t seem to be getting answered? The prayer that comes to mind now is my prayer for a spouse. This isn’t a poor, woe-is-me topic. This is me being vulnerable. I am thirty years old and single. I haven’t dated or been in a relationship. I have been praying for a spouse for years, but am still waiting. There have been times when the waiting has been easy and times when it’s been lonely and hard. There have been times when I gave up and quit praying about it entirely because I felt like it was pointless. My prayer wasn’t being answered, so I felt like there was no reason to continue praying the same prayer I had been praying for years.

  This seemingly unanswered prayer could lead me to think that God doesn’t care about me or that area of my life. Or I can choose to continue praying, surrendering my wants and desires to God, and let His will be done. I can choose to be faithful and serve Him. I can choose to use this time to live out the prayers He has answered in the past and is continuing to answer. Just because it might feel like He isn’t answering this one prayer for me in my life doesn’t mean He isn’t still answering prayers. He is still faithful. He still loves me and deserves my love and worship. I can choose to become angry and bitter because of my seemingly unanswered prayer. Or I can view it as a blessing and trust that God’s will and plan for my life is better than anything I could ever imagine. I can choose to be grateful and use my time of singleness to live a life that honors Him and is filled with adventure.

I know you may be facing something way bigger or praying for something way more important than a future spouse. You may be praying for healing for a loved one, restoration in a broken relationship, help in infertility after multiple miscarriages, help in grief after losing a loved one, or for a family member to turn back to God. Whatever you’re facing or praying for, my heart aches for you and I’m sorry. But please don’t stop praying, no matter how hopeless it may seem. Cling to the Lord. Tell Him all about the situation and every emotion you’re feeling. Keep praying. You never know, you may be one prayer away from seeing an answer.

  Through all of this, I am reminded that even if God doesn’t answer our prayers or our prayers aren’t answered in the way we had hoped, God is still good. He still cares. He still loves us. He still wants the best for us. He is still faithful. And I promise you, He hears your prayers. And He cares about you and every prayer you have. Just be patient, surrender, and trust Him.