THE LORD WHO HEARS AND

ANSWERS

BY TIM NDIRITU
 A GOD WHO LISTENS: THE LISTENING HEART OF OUR HEAVENLY
FATHER

• OUR JOURNEY OF FAITH BEGINS WITH THE REALIZATION THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE.
• THE GOD WE SERVE IS NOT A PASSIVE DEITY, BUT A LOVING FATHER WHO LEANS IN TO HEAR
OUR EVERY PRAYER, NO MATTER HOW QUIET OR DESPERATE OUR PLEAS MAY BE.
• HE LISTENS TO OUR JOYS, OUR SORROWS, AND OUR DEEPEST DESIRES.
• PSALM 94:9

"HE WHO PLANTED THE EAR, DOES HE NOT HEAR? HE WHO FORMED THE EYE, DOES HE NOT SEE?“
MAIN POINTS:
 GOD'S ATTENTIVE EAR IS ALWAYS OPEN TO OUR PRAYERS.
 HE'S NOT A DISTANT OR INDIFFERENT DEITY BUT A LOVING FATHER.
 OUR QUIETEST WHISPERS AND MOST DESPERATE CRIES ARE HEARD.
 FIGURATIVE STORY: THE FATHER'S
LISTENING EAR
• IMAGINE A YOUNG CHILD WHO RUNS TO THEIR FATHER AFTER A LONG DAY,
EAGER TO SHARE THEIR JOYS, SORROWS, AND DREAMS. THE CHILD MAY SPEAK
SOFTLY OR WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES, BUT THE FATHER BENDS DOWN, CUPS
HIS EAR, AND LISTENS INTENTLY. HE DOESN'T JUST HEAR THE WORDS; HE
UNDERSTANDS THE HEART BEHIND THEM. LIKEWISE, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER
LEANS IN, HIS EAR ATTUNED TO OUR EVERY WORD AND EMOTION, READY TO
COMFORT, GUIDE, AND ANSWER.
 THE POWER OF PRAYER: UNLOCKING BLESSINGS
THROUGH PRAYER
MATTHEW 7:7-8
ASK, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU; SEEK, AND YOU WILL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT
WILL BE OPENED TO YOU. FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES, AND THE ONE
WHO SEEKS FINDS, AND TO THE ONE WHO KNOCKS, IT WILL BE OPENED.
MAIN POINTS:
 MATTHEW 7:7-8 EMPHASIZES THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF PRAYER.
 ASKING, SEEKING, AND KNOCKING ARE ACTIVE FORMS OF PRAYER.
 PRAYER OPENS DOORS TO BLESSINGS AND ANSWERS FROM GOD.
 GOD'S TIMING: GOD'S PERFECT TIMING
2 PETER 3:8
BUT DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS ONE FACT, BELOVED, THAT WITH THE LORD ONE DAY IS AS
A THOUSAND YEARS, AND A THOUSAND YEARS AS ONE DAY.
• SOMETIMES, IT MAY SEEM LIKE OUR PRAYERS GO UNANSWERED.
• BUT WE MUST REMEMBER THAT GOD OPERATES IN HIS PERFECT TIMING, WHICH MAY
NOT ALIGN WITH OUR IMMEDIATE DESIRES.
• HE SEES THE BIGGER PICTURE AND KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR US. TRUST IN HIS
WISDOM AND TIMING.
MAIN POINTS:
 GOD'S TIMING MAY NOT ALIGN WITH OUR IMMEDIATE DESIRES.
 HE SEES THE BIGGER PICTURE AND KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR US.
 WE ARE CALLED TO TRUST IN HIS WISDOM AND DIVINE TIMING.
 FAITH AND PATIENCE: FAITH THAT PLEASES
HEBREWS 11:6 SAYS,
GOD
"AND WITHOUT FAITH, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM, FOR WHOEVER WOULD
DRAW NEAR TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE EXISTS AND THAT HE REWARDS
THOSE WHO SEEK HIM."
• LET OUR FAITH BE UNWAVERING, EVEN IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, AND LET US
PATIENTLY AWAIT HIS RESPONSE.
MAIN POINTS:
 HEBREWS 11:6 HIGHLIGHTS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FAITH IN PLEASING GOD.
 FAITH INVOLVES BELIEVING IN GOD'S EXISTENCE AND HIS REWARDS FOR THOSE
WHO SEEK HIM.
 ENCOURAGE UNWAVERING FAITH, EVEN IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, AND
PATIENCE IN AWAITING HIS RESPONSE.
 ISAIAH 54:2-3

• "ENLARGE THE PLACE OF YOUR TENT, AND LET THE CURTAINS OF YOUR
HABITATIONS BE STRETCHED OUT; DO NOT HOLD BACK; LENGTHEN YOUR
CORDS AND STRENGTHEN YOUR STAKES. FOR YOU WILL SPREAD ABROAD TO
THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT, AND YOUR OFFSPRING WILL POSSESS THE
NATIONS.“
• ISAIAH ENCOURAGES US TO ENLARGE OUR TENTS, TO EXPAND OUR FAITH, AND
TO TRUST THAT GOD HAS ABUNDANT BLESSINGS IN STORE FOR US.
• EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE OUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE LIMITING US, GOD'S
RESPONSE CAN BE TO BROADEN OUR HORIZONS BEYOND OUR IMAGINATION.
 1 SAMUEL, CHAPTERS 1 AND 2.
• BACKGROUND: HANNAH WAS A WOMAN WHO LONGED FOR A CHILD BUT WAS BARREN. SHE SUFFERED DEEPLY DUE
TO HER INABILITY TO CONCEIVE, ESPECIALLY IN A SOCIETY WHERE MOTHERHOOD WAS HIGHLY VALUED. DESPITE
HER PAIN AND SORROW, HANNAH REMAINED FAITHFUL TO GOD AND CONTINUED TO PRAY FERVENTLY FOR A CHILD.

• THE PRAYER: IN HER DISTRESS, HANNAH WENT TO THE TABERNACLE IN SHILOH TO PRAY. THERE, SHE POURED OUT
HER HEART TO THE LORD, WEEPING AND MAKING A VOW. SHE PRAYED SO EARNESTLY THAT HER LIPS MOVED, BUT
NO SOUND CAME OUT. ELI, THE PRIEST, SAW HER AND INITIALLY THOUGHT SHE WAS DRUNK. HOWEVER, WHEN HE
REALIZED THE SINCERITY OF HER PRAYER, HE BLESSED HER AND SENT HER ON HER WAY WITH THE ASSURANCE
THAT HER REQUEST WOULD BE GRANTED.

• THE ANSWER: GOD REMEMBERED HANNAH'S PRAYER, AND IN DUE TIME, SHE BECAME PREGNANT. SHE GAVE BIRTH
TO A SON AND NAMED HIM SAMUEL, WHICH MEANS "HEARD BY GOD." HANNAH'S JOY AND GRATITUDE
OVERFLOWED, AND SHE DEDICATED SAMUEL TO SERVE THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE. SAMUEL GREW UP TO
BE A GREAT PROPHET, JUDGE, AND THE ONE WHO ANOINTED BOTH SAUL AND DAVID AS KINGS OF ISRAEL.

• KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• PERSISTENT FAITH: HANNAH'S STORY DEMONSTRATES THE POWER OF PERSISTENT FAITH AND PRAYER. DESPITE
HER YEARS OF BARRENNESS AND THE EMOTIONAL PAIN IT CAUSED, SHE CONTINUED TO SEEK GOD IN PRAYER.

• GOD'S TIMING: THE STORY ALSO ILLUSTRATES THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUSTING IN GOD'S TIMING. HANNAH'S
PRAYER WAS ANSWERED WHEN GOD KNEW IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME, AND HER SON SAMUEL PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT
ROLE IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL.

• GRATITUDE AND DEDICATION: WHEN HANNAH'S PRAYER WAS ANSWERED, SHE RESPONDED WITH DEEP
GRATITUDE AND DEDICATION. SHE KEPT HER VOW TO THE LORD AND OFFERED PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING.

• THE STORY OF HANNAH IS A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF HOW GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS THE PRAYERS OF HIS
 EXAMPLES
THE PERSISTENT WINDOW - LUKE 18:1-8
YOU DON'T HAVE BECAUSE YOU DON'T ASK - JAMES 4:2-3
BLIND BARTEMEAUS - MARK 10:46-52
THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIERY FURNACE - DANIEL 3:8-30
DANIEL'S UNANSWERED PRAYERS - DANIEL 10:1-14