Know in your heart that God listens
Jesus knew God was listening, even when there was no response
I will be the first to admit that I have prayed, “God, are you even listening???” on more than one occasion.
On more than several occasions, if I am being brutally honest.
And I struggle with the problem of evil (the idea that God is good AND there is still evil in the world and how evil comes to be in the world with a God that is good).
In fact, in one of my more popular posts (linked below) I wrote about how God’s response to our prayers, when we ask for God to help us prevail over evil, is a resounding, “YES!”
…it is simply a matter of when…
Yet, even in the face of his own death, Jesus seems to pray in such a way that he already knows that God hears him and listens to him as he prays.
Jesus knows that, even if he can’t get what he wants (see yesterday’s post), that God still listens to his prayers.
In John 11, Jesus is in the process of resurrecting Lazarus and people are pushing back because Lazarus’ rotting corpse will probably smell bad. Jesus reminds them that they will see a miracle.
And then he starts praying, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Jesus knows that God listens to our prayers, even we don’t think God does.
So to pray like Jesus is simply going into your prayers knowing and believing that God has already heard your prayer, listened, and is responding.
It’s not complicated.
Jesus lays it out for us and even explains to us that he, quite literally, is only reminding us because we have to be told directly that God listens. Jesus has to prove that God sent him by reminding the people that God has listened to God’s people…and to Jesus specifically, in this instance.
To pray like Jesus means praying with confidence that God hears us.
And, sometimes, the best way to start praying…is to fake it ‘til you make it.
Start praying as if God is listening and responding…until you start believing that God is listening and responding.
My prayer for today
Our Father, thank you for hearing us. Help us, help me, know that you truly are listening and hearing me. Amen.
Remember
Plain and simple—start praying as if God is listening. Pretend if you have to. And see what happens.