GOD RESPONDS TO OUR PRAYERS
BY NG WAH LOK
Introduction.
When people pray, God moves. God responds to our prayers. Often , we are waiting for God to move. But God will not move until His people pray. Every revival is birthed in prayer.
In my song “Every Time I Pray”, I used the phrase “Every time I pray, I move the hand of God”. This is a powerful phrase expressing how God can respond to our prayers and move His mighty hand on our behalf.
EVERY TIME I PRAY
Every time I pray, I move the hand of God
My prayer does the things, my hands cannot do
For every time I pray, the mountains are removed
The paths are made straight, And nations turn to You.
Copyright. Ng Wah Lok, 1981
Recently, while meditating on 2 Chron 7:12-16, I discovered that when we pray, we do not only move the hand of God. The eyes, ear and heart of God move as well. God responds wholeheartedly to our prayers. What a revelation it was to me. This short sermon captures my devotional thoughts from this famous passage on prayer.
Text. 2 Chron 7 :12-16
V14 If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
V15 Now my eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place
V16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
God responds to our prayers in the following ways.
a) GOD LISTENS – EAR OF GOD
V14 – I will hear from heaven
V15 – ……my ears will be attentive to prayer made in this place
Jer 29: 12,13 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me ,when you search for me with all of your heart.
The book of Jeremiah is a book on judgement. However there were moments of hope in the book when God spoke to the remnant and assured them He will listen to their prayers.
GOD LISTENS WHEN WE PRAY
b) GOD WATCHES - EYE OF GOD
V15 – my eyes will be opened.
V16 – my eyes …will be there perpetually.
Ps 33:18 Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope on His mercy.
It is always comforting to know that someone watches over us. We watch over our children all the time when we are in shopping complexes. We never allow them out of our sight for fear they may be lost or kidnapped. When we pray, God watches over us.
GOD WATCHES WHEN WE PRAY
c) GOD MOVES – HAND OF GOD
V13,14a When I shut up the heavens and there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray….
V14…and heal their land.
When the people sinned against God, God sent judgement. The land, environment and agriculture were destroyed. When the people prayed. God moved to heal the land. What a big changed in circumstances when the people prayed. God moved His healing hand.
When we are stuck with a business deal, sometimes, all we need is phone call from a person of influence and our deal gets through. This is called “technical know who”. Sometimes “technical know who” is more important than “technical know how”. Although we have God on our side, yet many fail to ask Him to move on their behalf.
GOD MOVES ON OUR BEHALF WHEN WE PRAY
d) GOD FORGIVES - HEART OF GOD
v14- …..and will forgive their sin
v16 – My heart will be there perpetually.
There are many scriptures which encourage us to seek God with all of our hearts. However, the above scriptures speak of the heart of God being with us all the time when we pray. I believe we touch the heart of God when we pray. We move closer to His heart and likewise, God’s heart draws closer to us.
In year 2000, I wrote the following song “ I can feel Your Heart”
“I have found a deeper love for You
I have found a deeper love for Truth
I can feel Your heart beating, close to mine
Let me linger on , In your presence Lord
I can feel You heart again”.
Many people are far away from God’s heart because they do not pray.
GOD’S HEART IS WITH US WHEN WE PRAY
Conclusion
When we pray, God’s EAR, EYES, HAND and HEART respond to our prayers.
When we pray, God listens, God watches, God moves and God forgives.
“Every Time I Pray, I move the hand of God”
