Is God Listening?

O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe.

Psalm 31:1-2

Recently I met a young Muslim woman at a conference, and after talking for a while about our lives and families, she asked me what writing project I was working on. When I told her it was about God’s promises and included prayers for each day, she commented, “But in my religion, we are taught that Allah is too busy to listen to our prayers, and we pray five times a day, only at certain hours. Allah will not hear us other times.” After sharing that she found prayer difficult and monotonous, she asked, “Do you think your God is really listening or wants to bless you?”

When I shared with her that through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross the way is opened to pray to the Lord God anytime, night or day; that he listens and answers; and that we can enjoy a close relationship with him, she was surprised, to say the least.

The truth is, unless we believe that God wants to bless us, prayer is difficult for all of us. Since prayer involves relationship, how we come to God is closely related to how we perceive him and whether we believe that—as the Bible says and as the psalmist believed—the Lord is truly listening.

God invites us to come into his presence in Christ’s name through prayer, to experience his love, and to pour out our hearts to him. The same Creator who made us and knows us is never too busy to listen. That’s one of the reasons prayer is such a great gift: we find a Father who welcomes us, listens to us, always understands us, and provides protection for us under his wings and peace in the perspective of eternity.

Lord, it’s amazing that part of the gift of prayer is your graciousness in listening to your children. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring about me so much that you invite me to call on your name.

What if God does not demand prayer as much as gives prayer? What if praying means opening ourselves to the gift of God’s own self and presence?

Martin L. Smith, contemporary American writer, retreat leader, and preacher