Does God hear me?
That is a good question . We have all asked this ever present question “Does God hear me?”One time a long time ago ,seems like 18-19 years ago (wait it was 18-19 years ago).I was in love . I loved this person with all my heart . I would have done anything for this person. At that time I was looking for love . I was looking for something and I thought I had finally found it in her. Well I had put all my trust ,all my love , all my hopes into a person. Jesus tells us that people will let us down . Luke 21:16 tells us that “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends...”This person did betray me and one night I was at Pilot Rock and was so depressed about her leavening me ,I started walking . This was on a very curvy road and around midnight . I just kept walking . Talking to God , more like yelling at God . I asked Him ,” Are you there.” “Do you here me . All I wanted is someone to love .” I went and had walked to the steps of New Ebineazer Church and started praying , again at midnight,and praying does God hear me .
Please turn in your Bibles to Mathew 7:7-9 (discuss these verses especially verse 8 “ for anyone who asks receives”) Shortly as I was praying aloud a couple of my friends that I had rode up there with were looking for me and came and sat down with me and talked to me . As I was telling them about my distress they were with me as I prayed for God to send me someone to love ,someone to love me, someone I can be with for the rest of my life. I asked God to send me someone. Please read in your Bibles Mathew18;19-20 (discuss these verses and the importance of when we gather together and pray) Also please read Mathew 21:22.
I pleaded with God . I had prayed to God . I had talked to God. Did God answer my prayers . Would He have listened to me and my anguish
. With all the World and it’s problems . With people dieing in Africa, people starving in India,people suffering death ,people suffering persecution. Would He ,God Almighty ,Father of Heaven , have listened to me on that midnight night sitting on the steps of that old church . You will find the answer in John 14:14. Let’s read it aloud. Shortly after that chance encounter I met this girl at the mall parking lot . She was the most intriguing person I had met . I kept my eye on her for a while . Just like what we do when God talks to us ,we wait . We scope it out. We pray about it . Oh get real , we waste time . We are to scared to accept a gift from God most of the time it’s no wander He is not burning bushes and parting seas . I scoped her out for a while , too scared of getting hurt again. I finally got up enough nerve and said Hi my name is Chris ,... and Melissa said ? ...Yes that’s right , the gift God had sent me , the one who he knew I could love for ever , the one who he knew would love me back ,the person He himself picked out for me was Melissa .
Looking back on my life I have sat and looked into what God has answered . When I was 16 I wanted an really cool motorcycle . A Harley or Triumph .I prayed for it . Well in God’s time he decided to let me have one ,in fact several once he thought I needed them and would appreciate them ( I restored bikes for a while). I use to pray that it would be cool to be a truck driver ( this is when I would watch C.H.I.P.’s and D.J. And the Bear on T.V.) Well when I was 26 he decided I was ready for his blessing again and I became a truck driver. But you have to be careful for what you ask for ... I asked for patience and he sent me Sam and Gabe . These are just a few of examples of the power of prayer.
He still answers prayers . Back in November I prayed to God and told him that my smoking was wrong and I needed help to quit . I couldn’t do it myself . I had been smoking for ever since I was about 12. (Yes 12 ,back then they didn’t care how old you were and they only cost $.35 a pack) .That night I had my last cigarette. The next day I think I only had a couple of cravings. But nothing real ,I mean they were only a thought , not nagging at me or anything. Since that November night I have not smoked a single cigarette .
God answered my prayers . All we have to do is ask . God wants us to be happy , but he also knows we must go threw bad times to get good times and to appreciate them. God wants us to ask him for things .He wants us to praise him for the gifts he sends us. When was the last time you praised Him for the good things that have happened to you . It can be as great as you getting the house you always wanted or as little as finding that $ .50 on the floorboard of the car for a much needed Pepsi (or Diet Pepsi for some of us ). He wants your praise ,He wants you to talk to him . How many of us have had a couple of friends . During the course of these friendships one of the friends stayed in close contact with you ,I mean called you regularly ,you would go shopping with them ,y’all would email each other, you know really stayed in touch. The other one moved away ,only called maybe on your birthday and sent a card on Christmas.
Now as some time goes by which one are you gonna grow with . Which one are you gonna want to do anything for . Which one are you gonna know more about .The one who you regularly talk with and communicate with . You would still do anything for the one who rarely talks to you but you are more apt to know what is going on in the daily life of the other.
God wants us to tell Him about us . He wants our good days ,He wants our bad days . He wants our joys and He wants our sorrows. He wants to know what is going on with you . Just as a parent and their child He wants an intimate relationship with us. He wants us to talk to him . He wants us to pray to Him ,He wants us to worship Him .
How can we expect God to answer our prayers and needs if we don’t tell him . He knows our needs and what’s on our hearts ,but he wants to hear it from us . He wants to hear our voice, He wants our to hear our prayer . He wants praise for when our prayers are answered. In all things we do we are to glorify Him and Praise Him. Have you Praised Him today ? Have you prayed to Him today ? Have you talked to Him lately ? Let’s pray now.
Dear Heavenly Father we come to you today in prayer to talk with you .We are so blessed to be here Father .Were there are still countries that Christians can’t gather together without fear of being discovered and passably killed. Father we are truly blessed . Father we pray for this Church ,that we as the body will do your will for us. We pray for Brother Kent and Brother Steve that the sermons they have preached today may have touched the heart and soul of someone and will bring them to you. We pray Father for those here in this room . We pray for the things on our hearts , the cry’s in our souls out to you that our prayers will be answered. For it is in Jesus Christ name we pray , AMEN
