Tuesday, January 18 – Psalm 17:6

Does God really hear me when I pray?

“I have called upon You, for You will answer me, God;

Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.”

Have you ever heard a story from history that helped you understand a current situation? There are times when we throw out history because we don’t see how it could change things right now. The beauty of history is that it tells us about human nature and the world God created without our limited, biased lens. The answer to this question is everywhere in Scripture; repeatedly we see God using prayer to hear His people and to help His people know Him. We can see these accounts from the Word and testimony from our brothers and sisters in Christ and hold the confidence of the Psalmist when we pray: “I have called on You, for You will answer me, God.”

If prayer is something new and intimidating to you, be encouraged! God is not looking for perfection in prayer or a formula to presenting requests to Him. Sometimes the simplest prayers mean saying the Word back to God, reminding ourselves of His promises. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it this way, “We are privileged to know that he knows our needs before we ask him. This is what gives Christian prayer its boundless confidence and its joyous certainty. It matters little what form of prayer we adopt or how many words we use, what matters is the faith which lays hold on God and touches the heart of the Father who knew us long before we came to Him.”[1] May you be encouraged today and pray to the Lord, knowing that He is the God who hears yesterday, today, and forevermore.

• What are some Bible stories or testimonies you know about how God heard a prayer?
• Have you ever been nervous or intimidated to come to God in prayer? Why? How does this verse encourage you?
• Pray and thank God for the many testimonies that show how He is the God who hears, ask Him to grow your confidence in Him as you come before Him in prayer.

[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (London: SCM Press, 2015), 110.