Today’s 333 Devotional: “Prayers God Hears”

Over the years I’ve seen and heard quite a few prayers, and what others consider to be the type of prayers that God hears.

Now, almost everybody believes in prayer. Whenever there’s a catastrophe, whether through a vicious attack by someone, or through a natural disaster, we immediately ask for prayer.

Even medical science is crediting faith and prayers as major factors in people’s recovery. But is random speech skyward actually prayer, and are they prayers that God hears and answers? Interesting question, and since I’m not God I don’t have the answer. What I do know, however, is that God is just, merciful, and gracious, and I’m sure glad He is.

This brings us to an important point, and that is, not everything we direct towards God are truly prayers. Instead, they are more of a list of wants and desires.

Dallas Willard, theologian, and author has said that just talking to God isn’t prayer, even though prayer is talking to God. In other words, not all the words we direct towards God qualify as prayer, no matter how many religious words we use.

Jesus said of our need to ask, seek, and knock, and that our heavenly Father will hear from heaven and provide (Matthew 7:7-11). Further, the Bible says that we have not because we fail to ask, but also it says that the reason we don’t receive what we ask for is not because of our lack of faith, but rather it’s because we’re asking with the wrong motives, seeking to use it on our own pleasures rather than furthering God’s kingdom (James 4:2-3).

Someone said that some prayers are nothing more than wrongly focused appreciation combined with delusions of grandeur.

Therefore, let’s put away all pride of self, and humbly bow our heads and our hearts before God, admitting our helplessness, and honestly confess our sins, and then humble ourselves under His mighty hand to receive grace and mercy in this our time of need.