“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”— 1 John 5:14
There was a family who had a small Scottish terrier who would go to their back door and bark and bark until someone finally got the message and let it out. One day, a handyman had come to do some work on the house while everyone else was gone. That little dog took up his station at the back door and barked incessantly all day.
When the family returned home to find the handyman finishing up, he told them about how the dog had been barking all day at the door. The homeowner told him that his neighbors had said the same thing. “The sad thing is,” the owner said, “it never occurs to the little guy that all his barking is totally useless when no one’s home to hear!”
The Christian prayer life can sometimes feel like that little dog, can’t it? You pray and pray, and often years can go by with no answer until you begin to wonder, “Is anyone even home up there?”
But God’s timing is perfect. He knows what you need and when you need it. His timing for answering prayer is never early and never late. So instead of becoming discouraged that no one is hearing your prayers, remember that God knows what’s best and will always work everything out for those who love Him!
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to teach you patience as you wait for His perfect timing to answer your prayers.
Questions for thought
How confident are you in the fact that God hears your prayers? What promises from His Word support this truth?
Is there a specific prayer you stopped praying because you didn’t think God was listening? Why not start praying for it again…today?