Listening

Listening

But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.

Psalm 66:19

I’ll never forget God’s answer to a prayer I prayed in my freshman year of college. I wanted to attend an Urbana missions conference over winter break, but I didn’t want to burden my parents for the money since they were already paying my college bills. So I decided to ask God to provide the money if he wanted me to attend.

Several weeks later my mom called from home. She said that I must have forgotten to cash one of my summer paychecks because the company I worked for had inquired about the outstanding check. I explained to my mom where I kept my pay stubs, and when she looked in the shoebox in my closet, sure enough, there was the uncashed check sitting on top of all the pay stubs. Not only did the check pay for the missions conference, but it also covered my transportation there and back!

Knowing that God heard my prayer and cared enough to provide was a huge encouragement that built up my faith and prompted me to keep praying.

“Prayer is an exchange of confidence: we assume the stance of a trusting child and pray with faith that is matched by obedience. God remembers our frailty, loves us as his children, hears and answers our prayers.”^a

God wants our thanks and praise when we experience his listening and his provision. In Psalm 50:14-15, we’re taught, “What I want . . . is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High. Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

Father,

Thank you that you, an infinite and holy God, listen to us in spite of the fact that we are deeply flawed and many times ungrateful. May we run to you first in our moments of need, and may we encourage our children to do the same. Amen.