JP39: IS HE LISTENING? PRAYERS THAT GET GOD'S ATTENTION

Have you ever felt like your prayers go unheard and unanswered?  How can we be sure that God hears and wants to answer our prayers?  As Jesus nears the end of the best sermon ever preached, he provides the key to a vitally engaging prayer life.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  (Mt 7:7–11, NIV).

In this teaching on prayer, Jesus explains that the Father is pleased to hear and answer our prayers when we do so with persistence, alignment, and belief.

Pray With Persistence

The Father wants us to rely on Him through persistent prayer as Jesus urges us to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking.  He delights in our dependency on Him without removing our human agency.  

Jesus says that "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you." (John 15:7, NIV)  

What does it mean to remain in Jesus and His words to remain in us?   It starts with making the pursuit of Jesus and his ways the center of our lives. There are many ways to move on from there, but one could start by adopting a habit of relating to God through devoted prayer and listening to Him by reading and actively applying scripture to our lives.  

In this way, our prayers become part of an ongoing, life-changing relationship with the Father instead of emergency prayers when our life drifts into deep and uncertain waters.

Prayers that get the Father’s attention begin with persistence and find shape through alignment with his purposes.

Pray With Alignment

So how do we know what to pray for?  We find a clue when we observe what Jesus said about the Father's character, "how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts..."  

The Father only gives us what is suitable and aligned with His purposes.

For example, He told Solomon to “Ask. What should I give you.”  when he became king of Israel?” (1 Ki 3:5, CSB).  Solomon responded, "give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?” (1 Ki 3:9, CSB).  

Because Solomon asked for wisdom to serve people, the Lord answered,

“Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice, I will therefore do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again. In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no king will be your equal during your entire life.”  (1 Ki 3:11–13, CSB).

Solomon asked God for the one thing that would help him most as a leader - wisdom.  God not only gave Solomon great understanding, but he also blessed him with riches and honor.

When we pray with persistence and alignment, we demonstrate our reliance on the Father and our desire for His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven - through us.  

Pray With Belief

Jesus explains that if an earthly father, though evil (corrupted by Adam's sinful nature), knows how to give good gifts to his children, then how much more will our Father in heaven supply our needs with good things?

The Father honors a prayer given in faith as Jesus' brother James says,

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (Jas 1:5–8, NIV).

Instead of being double-minded and unstable, praying with persistence, alignment, and belief grows our confidence and gets the Father's attention.  He delights in proving that He is listening by answering in ways that make us more like Him and more of a blessing to those around us.

How can your prayers become more others-centered?  How is the Lord leading you to pray with persistence, alignment, and belief?  Need prayer today? Reach out by email to richard@thejesuspattern.com.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for teaching me how to pray.  Remind me today that living out your divine ethic is not something that I can do apart from your gospel changing me from the inside out.  Help me to remain in you and build a prayer life that is dynamic and full of confidence so that your kingdom can come to earth through me as it is in heaven.

Is He Listening? Prayers That Get God’s Attention

1. Pray with Persistence

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Mt 7:7, NIV)

2. Pray with Alignment

“…how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Mt 7:11, NIV)

3. Pray with Belief

“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Mt 7:8, NIV)

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (Jas 1:5–8, NIV)

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