Did you hear me? This was a question asked repeatedly in our house when all the boys were living at home. My wife or I would instruct the boys to do something and the action we desired was not done. When we would ask them if they heard us, most of the time the answer was, “No.” (I will admit there were times it was, “Yes” and they were just in a mood to disobey.) In more recent years, an UNO Reverse card has been played, and the children and my wife are asking me, “Did you hear me? Do you have your hearing aid turned up?”
For relationships to grow and bear fruit, communication is imperative. We cannot expect relationships with family or friends to grow without an open line of communication where all parties share, and all parties listen. The same is true with our relationship with God. In Jeremiah 29:12 the Lord speaks, “Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.”
The Lord invites us to speak to Him. There is a repetition of “call to me” and “pray.” When I call out to someone, I usually begin with their name, as I invite their attention to be turned to me. I then begin to ask the question or introduce the topic for further conversation. As we engage together, there is space made for listening and speaking. I am reminded of the teaching from the book of James, “You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;” (1:19).
The Lord reminds us, “I will hear you.” It is radical to consider the reality of a God who listens to those who He has created and loves. The Lord is faithful and consistent to hear us when we pray, and the Lord invites us to be faithful and consistent in calling out to Him and praying. Jesus gave us the model of how this calling out and praying comes together in the Lord’s prayer: “Our Father who art in heaven” (calling out) and the rest of the prayer is our seeking the conversation.
How are you daily calling out to the Lord and praying? Are there times you feel as though your prayer is not heard because you don’t see the immediate answer, or you sense your prayer is not reaching heaven? Today, we can know that as we are faithful and consistent in our calling out to the Lord and praying that He is faithful and consistent to hear our prayer.
Prayer: Lord, I tend to fail in my consistency in prayer and wonder why life seems so overwhelming. Remind me of your invitation to call out to you and pray to you as I look to each new day. Also, when I sense my voice is not being heard, remind me of your faithfulness and consistency to hear my prayers. In Jesus’ name. Amen.