3 Reasons Why We Can Trust That God Hears Our Prayers
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When someone we have prayed for is healed from an illness, does that mean God granted our request? On the flip side, if someone dies despite prayers we offered on his or her behalf, does that mean God answered, “No”? Maybe God is listening some of the time, and maybe he isn’t on other occasions. How can we know?
Here are three reasons why we can trust God hears our prayers:
1. The Bible tells us that God is all-knowing (omniscient), so we can be certain that he hears all our prayers:
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. (Ps. 147:5)
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable. (Isa. 40:28)
For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. (1 John 3:20)
2. The Bible tells us that God is all-powerful (omnipotent), so we can be certain God can help us according to his will:
Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Gen. 18:14)
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Heb. 1:3)
3. The Bible tells us that God is all-present (omnipresent), so we can be certain God is always near to us:
For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. (Job 28:24)
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. (Ps. 139:7-10)
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. (Prov. 15:3)
God knows far better what is best in all situations than we finite creatures could ever know.
Because God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, we can trust that he is fully aware of all our needs and circumstances. God has good and perfect reasons for allowing what he allows, even when things might not make sense to us. Adam and Eve thought they knew better than God in the garden of Eden. The sad result of their rebellion is humanity’s sinful state before a holy God and a world filled with misery. Yet, God didn’t leave people in their fallen condition but instead in his unfathomable love sent his own Son to save all who call on his name (Rom. 10:13).
When we don’t get the answers to our prayers for which we were hoping, we may be tempted to conclude that God is insensitive, mean, unable to help, or unaware of what is going on. Yet, God knows far better what is best in all situations than we finite creatures could ever know, and we must accept his will in everything he permits.
Thankfully, God loves us too much to give us all the things for which we ask with our limited knowledge. When we recognize and trust that God knows and sovereignly rules all his creation and creatures, we can be patient in adversity and grateful in prosperity (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 28). We can trust him in all circumstances. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit indwells all believers and intercedes for them:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Rom. 8:26)
We need not ever doubt God’s love for us.
In this time between Christ’s ascension and return, we make petitions to our heavenly Father in the name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 14: 15–17; Rom. 8:26). We must patiently await God’s response, always praying for his will to be done. We should never doubt God’s loving lordship over all creation, nor should we ever judge the one who will be the final Judge of all.
This article is adapted from “Does Praying Work?” at corechristianity.com and was originally published at Beautiful Christian Life on May 28, 2020.
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