God Knows and Hears by David Jeremiah

 

God Knows and Hears  Therefore do not be like [the hypocrites]. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Matthew 6:8    We sometimes ponder the purpose and procedures of prayer; Jesus’ disciples had a learning curve on the subject as well. At times, Jesus’ instructions might have seemed contradictory. On one occasion, He told them that God knew what they were going to ask for before they prayed—which probably raised a silent question in their mind, “Then why pray?” Then He immediately taught them how to pray (Matthew 6:8-13)! So His point was not, “Don’t pray.” His point was “Don’t pray long, sanctimonious prayers like religious pagans who use long prayers as a way to influence ‘god.’” Instead, He taught them a prayer of just over sixty (English) words.

Recommended Reading: Romans 8: 26 – 27

Jesus’ point was that God hears our hearts, not just our words. He knows and hears all our prayers, even when we don’t know exactly how to pray (Romans 8:26-27). When the young Mary received the angel Gabriel’s message, she likely didn’t know exactly how to pray in response. But she pondered his words in her heart (Luke 2:19)—unspoken prayers that God heard and answered. Be assured that God hears and answers your prayers—even before you pray.