He Always Hears Me When I Pray

Way too early, my alarm went off this morning. It was 4:00 am and, not quite awake, I picked up my Bible and opened the Bible app on my phone. Though I don’t always do so consistently, I try to follow the M’Cheyne One Year Reading Plan for my morning Bible devotions.

Every so often, God uses those readings to give me a “Wow!” moment, an experience of his presence or an insight in the truth that takes me to a deep place with him. I had one of those moments this morning.

The New Testament readings for today were John 11 and Ephesians 1. John 11 recounts the death and raising of Lazarus. Ephesians 1 contains the Bible’s clearest exposition of the doctrine of the believer’s union with Christ.

Paul wrote that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (verse 3). We were chosen in him before the foundation of the world (verse 4). We are blessed in the Beloved with God’s glorious grace (verse 6).  It is in him that we have redemption and forgiveness (verse 7). In him we obtained an inheritance (verse 11). We are sealed with the Spirit in him (verse 13).

It is because believers are in him, that is, united with Christ and one with him that we are holy and blameless, predestined for adoption, have had wisdom and insight lavished upon us, and been united with all things in heaven and on earth.

Union with Christ teaches us that because we are united with him everything that is true about Jesus is true about us. One of my favorite applications of this doctrine is to use it to show people what God thinks about them. Do you ever wonder what God thinks about you? You don’t have to wonder. The Bible tells us. Read the account of Jesus’s baptism. In Luke 3 it says,

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also was baptized and was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.

Are you a believer in Jesus? Are you a Christian? If you are then you are united with him and everything true about Jesus is true about you. What does God think about you? He thinks that you are his beloved son or daughter, and with you he is well pleased.

Several years ago, when I was at a low point in my life, my friend Jared would meet with me for coffee every few weeks. Whenever we did, he always pointed me to this doctrine. Finally, the truth of it began to sink into my heart. I am the beloved son of God and with me he is well pleased! I love that doctrine. But it wasn’t being reminded of this precious truth, as beautiful as it is, that led to my Wow! moment this morning. It was another application of our union with Christ.

Earlier, in John 11:41-42, I’d read that after Jesus ordered that the stone covering Lazarus’s tomb be moved and before he commanded Lazarus to “come out” he prayed to the Father.

And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Did you get that? Jesus said,” I knew that you always hear me.” Always.

 Does it ever seem to you like your prayers either bounce off the ceiling or that they disappear into the air like vapor? Does it seem, sometimes, like no one is listening when you pray, that God has turned away, or maybe is too busy doing something else to pay attention to you? I’m sure that you have had that experience, all of us have. But while it may have seemed that way, seemed like God was not listening, that cannot be true.

It cannot be true because since the Father always heard Jesus when he prayed and then he always hears us when we pray. When we read Jesus’s prayer in the light of our union with Christ, the only thing that “I knew that you always hear me” can mean is that God always, always, always hears us when we pray. Always.

That was my Wow! moment this morning. I thought of many times when I felt alone or abandoned, when I thought that God was not there or was not listening to me and I knew I’d been wrong. He’d been there every time. He heard every word.

Realizing that truth flooded my soul with a sense of God’s presence. I was embraced by his love and filled with peace. What a wonderful way to begin my day, even if it was way too early.

Much love, Barry