Is God listening to our prayers? Is He going to give us what we ask for?

What I’m about to say could sound illogical and funny but since we’ve entered the cynical illogic era it might feel OK to say it. They say that when a hunter encounters a furious lion, they both pray; one for the good hunt, and the other one for the good supper. I have seen many movies in which I laugh because I see that in a given Church,  or better said, Temple, (the “church” is not the building but the people) there is a person praying on one side for victory over their enemies, and on the other side one enemy is praying for the same reason. Who is God listening to? And if it is a movie about the Mafia you can see the godfather of the enemy come and say his condolences “I’m sorry for your loss,” to the woman he just made a widow. And then sits to pray. How could this be?

I know God is listening. He listens to all, but He’s NOT going to answer all in the same manner, just like He saves us all when we believe in Him, but will NOT reward everyone the same when the time comes. It all has to do with doing His will. If we are believers and read the Scriptures in a daily manner and talk to Him likewise, we know what His will consists of, and how we can please Him. It could be one’s not the passionate type and does not go around fussing about his/her beliefs, but he/she does believe. We see it in their doing. Others, though, think it’s so great to have been saved from hell by just believing that whatever they can do is not enough to thank Him. It’s all a matter of the person’s character; and we can change that, precisely, by praying; I’ve had proof of it.

When I decided to talk about this issue of Prayer, I went to the Topic section of my Spanish Study Bible of the Americas (Lockman Foundation) and read about it.

I can pray all the time I’m conscious; even if I’m by myself. I know He’s listening because He’s the Father to whom we ask; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. (Mathew 6.8b) I talk to Him as with my earthly Dad, and present him all my worries, honestly. But He also likes it when two or more do it together. Jesus said: If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. “For where two or three have gathered together in My  name, I’m there in their midst.” (Mathew 18. 19-20)  If we pray through the Son, Jesus, we know we’re right. He said: Whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. (John 15.16c) And if we pray through the Holy Spirit is even better since He dwells within us, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning  too deep for words. (Romans 8.26b) That is why Paul says: With all prayers and petitions pray at all times in the Spirit (Ephesians 6.18a) 

If we want God to answer our Prayers we should:

1-Seek God w/pure heart-You will seek Me  and find Me when you search with all your heart.       (Jeremiah 29.13)                                                                                                                                                                                                

2-Pray according to the Word/be obedient-If you abide in Me and my words in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. (John 15.7) ..whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments. . .(I John 3.22)

3-Confess and repent/Be humble-My people who are called by My  name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7.14)

4-Submit to the Will of God-We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God fearing and does His will, He hears him. (John 9.31)

5-Have a righteous life-The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15.29)                       

6-Delight in the Lord-Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.   (Psalm    37.4)

7-Have faith-And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.(Matthew 21.22)

8- Be honest/ Respectful -The Lord is near to all who call upon Him. . .in truth. The Lord keeps all who fear Him . . . love Him. (Psalm 145. 18-20a)

9-Forgive others-For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matthew 6.14)

10-Persevere-Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. (Luke 18. 7-8a)

11- Ask in the name of Jesus (and Jesus said)-If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.                             (John 14.14)

All of these qualities are present in most people who pray. In these times of trouble we are experiencing, I would like to leave you with words of VICTORY prayer:

Establish my footsteps in Your Word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.               (Psalm  119. 133)

What Is Death? Is it a Solution?

We are going through hard times where this theme is very common. We are listening constantly about the different statistics of disease propagation and deaths due to the pandemic and we become scared, but this is something we have dealt with before in other situations, like that of wars where the numbers had been worse, and even with other pandemics, yet recently, when the press was more discreet and never reported “much” damage. Yet we are still here, and remember, although we know we are ALL going to die at some point.

 I think the solution part is relative, though; for some people it would be a solution and for others it wouldn’t.  I imagine it all depends on the situation and on the belief.  If the person is not a believer in God, and think this life is all there is, I assume they would not like to go, but if you belong to the family of God, you know for sure Death is only a transition to a better life and you ‘d be happier, especially if you’re agonizing here.  Of course you don’t want to leave your loved ones and they don’t want you to go either because of love, but we hold on to the knowledge that God is fair and all powerful and knows what is best for us and if we are God fearing people, there’s no problem. And we know God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8.28.)  When I tell my daughter this she tells me: “Yes, Mom, but you are all I have that helps me,” and I say: “I’m sure God will send you an angel who will help better.”  For the Lord will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance. (Psalm 94.14)  We are his children He considers his inheritance, so do not worry, He has never left us to our “fate”, as many could think. He’s given us His Holy Spirit through Whom we survive. Do you want to feel powerful? Get to know Him.

Paul the apostle wrote to one of his churches: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is Gain.” (Philippians 1.21) I suppose that having been an allied of the ones who victimized the Christians, now that he was one himself who knew how great it was to feel invincible through Christ, he wanted to let everyone know the truth since he was being jailed and threatened with death, constantly, and was firm in his beliefs: “But whatever things that WERE gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3.7)  That is why we should NOT be afraid of anything, of course if we do not walk in hate or envy towards others.

We have a saying in Spanish that goes something like: Once the dog dies there's no more rabies. Let me tell you why I do not believe in it, because that is something the wicked people trust, and that’s why they want to eliminate the ones that bother them, like they did to Jesus, but what they do not know is that if they eliminate a righteous one, especially one sent by God, his doctrine will not only rise up again, but will never be forgotten and his practices will live on, forever and ever. That’s why the Bible says: DEATH WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? OH DEATH WHERE IS YOUR STING?  (I Corinthians 15.55)  So, actual death is NOT a solution here. It is only a solution when God permits it because He knows what’s best for His loved ones. Why do you think the ungodly are always fighting Christians and trying to get rid of their doctrine? But they will never succeed because, as long as there are fair people around, goodness will not leave us. When Jesus spoke about the Tares among the Wheat  (Mathew 13.24-30) He said the sower told his servants: ’Allow both to grow together until the harvest, and I will tell the reapers then to gather up the tares and bind them up in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.’(verse 30)  I do not know what would happen when the Lord takes His church with Him at the rapture, though. I imagine the ones who stay and still are ungodly will be like the Tares.  I wish all people read and learn so they will be saved on the bad day, because it’s getting closer. Learn from Jesus; He said:

I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE; no one comes to the FATHER but through ME. (John 14.6)

Ask Him to introduce Himself to you if you don’t want to die forever, for He will swallow up death for all time. (Isaiah 25.8a) DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. (I Corinthians 15.54 c)