Heaven Can Hear It

I've really been experiencing the power of prayer in my life recently. It seems day after day I see God respond and it is such a powerful reminder of who He is, and who I am to Him. He hears - and cares about - the big and the small.

Just the other night as I was going to sleep I prayed and asked God to give me an opportunity to share the gospel the next day, something that is both exciting and often difficult for me to do. My day passed very mundanely without a lot of interaction and I thought "Well, maybe today just wasn't the day." I was very quickly proved wrong when God did indeed send me an opportunity in a very unexpected way. It made me laugh to myself when I realized that His way was so personal and so intentional. Praise God for hearing us and providing.

I have been listening to Anne Wilson's song Praying Woman on repeat these last few days as I have sat to write this blog. Her line "When she whispers 'Dear Jesus', Heaven can hear it" is such a powerful truth. It is amazing to me how some days the idea of answered prayers seems so far away, but in an instant, we can find ourselves living in one.

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I recently finished Lysa TerKeurst's 40 Days Through The Bible study and have since been feeling lost on where and what to read in my quiet time. I took the advice I heard from one of the Robertson men on their podcast and decided to read in the gospels every day, no matter what else I may or may not read. I have been in the early chapters of Matthew and have been blown away by the faith of the people Jesus encountered at that time: the woman touching his robe (Matthew 9:20-22), the paralyzed man (Matthew 9:1-8), the synagogue leader (Matthew 9:18) and so many more. We see them put their complete trust in Jesus to bring healing and because of their faith He does (Matthew 9:29)!

This is the kind of faith I want to have, especially in my prayer life. I love the encounter in Mark 9 where a man admits to Jesus that he has both faith and doubt:

"...have mercy on us and help us, if You can." (v.22)

"What do you mean, 'If I can'? Jesus asked. Anything is possible if a person believes." (v.23)

"The father instantly cried out, 'I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!" (v.24)

This is something I relate to so deeply. How often do we pray and ask God - Who created the whole world and everything in it, is capable of anything, and defeated death itself - for something yet still have doubt in our mind? I do this more often than I'd like to admit, and I pray this verse back to Him. God I believe, but help my unbelief. God I trust you, but I am afraid.

Despite our doubts and fears He hears us and answers our prayers, I can say this in full confidence for I have lived it! All throughout my life I see Him working and moving in His time. God thank You for hearing our prayers and answering them. Remind us daily of the power that prayer holds - not because of us, but because of the power of the God we are praying to. What prayer do you need to have faith in today?