Have you ever called someone but left no message?
The Lord sees the good people and listens to their prayers.
1 Peter 3:12 NCV
Yesterday we saw how a young boy mistakenly thought someone was calling him and that wasn’t true. Well, when I say that wasn’t true, I mean the person who Samuel thought was calling, was not calling but in reality, someone was calling.
The whole point of the story was that God wanted to speak to a young boy called Samuel. I don’t know about you but there are so many voices telling us how to live, it’s sometimes difficult to hear God’s voice or take the time to listen.
As I said yesterday there are so many books, videos, conferences and advice that sometimes we can get confused as to what is the best advice available. Young Samuel had been given the Torah and we have the Bible and I suggest for us that we start there.
Another help is much more difficult to discern (well for me anyway) and that is prayer. Yesterday morning when I switched my phone on there was a missed call, but the caller left no message. Unless I recognise the number I generally do not call back as I believe if it was important they would have left a message. That is how sometimes I feel prayer is like. I leave a message but there is no one at the other end (my perception) and will they call back? Does He have my number?
Sometimes we don’t know if God is really hearing our prayers. But God does hear them and he even speaks through them. When you see the things you pray for come to pass, you can see God’s faithfulness and His love for you, and it encourages you that God does have His hand on your life.
A young girl would go to church and hear the Pastor tell her that God speaks. She was new to church and didn’t really understand how God could speak to her, but she would always write down prayers in a journal.
A few years passed by and she was packing to move to New York City. She found a journal on a shelf with all her other books. She picked it up and opened it. When she opened it up, she couldn’t believe what she was reading. Her prayers at that time were God help me to be brave and tell people about You. She had written down those prayers a few years before, but now they had come true! She was moving to New York City to work with Metro Ministries and to tell children about Jesus.
As she was looking at that journal she realised that God had often spoken through her prayers that she had prayed years before but had not realised. How often have you had a conversation on the phone but it does not abide in the memory. Might I suggest you have a prayer journal to write down your personal prayers and every few months review your journal? You may be pleasantly surprised that God has picked up your message and acted accordingly.
Whatever it is, whatever prayer you have, God will speak through it because God speaks through prayer. Our verse today tells you that God’s ears are open to your prayers (1 Peter 3:12). God cannot lie, therefore God’s ears are open and ready to listen to your prayers. Pray to Him and then learn how to listen as He speaks through your prayers. God speaks. Listen to His voice.
Finally, remember in any phone conversation there is a place where you are just listening. The same with God. Give God time to speak. Find a quiet place and just sit silently before Him and give God the opportunity.
Stay Safe and blessed.