He Does Hear You!

As God's children we have the promise that we can go boldly to His throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). What a blessing!

In addition, I John 5:14 says, "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us." The promise in this scripture is so awesome, but there's another scripture that we must address in order to really appreciate what these scriptures give to us. In I John 4:16, John makes the statement, "And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us." Did you hear that? Experiencing and believing the love God has for us is key to knowing that our prayers are heard.

There are times when we have to stop and check our hearts. Are we just daily living out religious routines or are we intentionally walking out a life in Christ that is genuinely receiving and expressing the love that we believe we have received in Him? See, it all starts with your belief system. It's easy to get caught up in the religious practices of life from day to day and not take the time to check in with our own hearts to examine our internal belief system. What is it that you're really saying to yourself throughout the day? Does it line up with what you believe God has said about you in His Word? We have to be careful to check in with ourselves and cast down any negative internal conversations that go on in our minds and not just let stray thoughts fly around in our heads.

The New American Standard Bible version puts it this way. "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). It's our job to deny thoughts that would sway us away from believing the love that God has for us. And we know that His plans and thoughts towards us are good as stated in Jeremiah 29:11. So yes, He does hear you and He does want to answer you according to His will. But you must believe that He loves YOU. I encourage you to meditate on I John 4:16 and let that word sink into your spirit. It will certainly change how you approach prayer and intimacy with the Lord.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord, thank you for your Word that elevates our heart and mind. Thank you that we can know and believe your love for us. As we meditate on your truth, help us to be successful in walking in the victory that is ours through Christ's shed blood. We grab hold to the fact that you hear us as we communicate with you and we thank you for how you reveal yourself to us through answered prayers. Amen.