Does God really hear my prayers?
Yes. Because of Jesus, believers pray with bold confidence that God hears them, not on the basis of their own worthiness but on the basis of Christ's. Scripture also calls us to pray in faith, in His will, with unconfessed sin dealt with, and with hearts that do not ask selfishly.
This question arose from studying How do I pray?.
Begin by reading
Go into the Word
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
He hears those who come through Christ
This is the confidence we have in Him: if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know He hears us, we know we have what we asked. Because of Jesus we draw near to the throne of grace with boldness, to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.
Ask in His name, and He answers with joy
Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. To ask in His name is to ask according to who He is and what He wants, and the Father delights to answer that.
“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.
Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.
Hindrances are real: unconfessed sin and selfish motives
If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not listen. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your pleasures. The Lord's hand is not too short to save, but your iniquities have made a separation.
If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn’t have listened.
You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
Behold, Yahweh’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save; neither his ear heavy, that it can’t hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Faith and persistence are the posture
Let him ask in faith, without doubting. Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. We keep what we ask in alignment with God's revealed will, and we ask in faith, because He rewards those who seek Him.
But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.
Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.
You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
Worth visiting