When we are not sure if God hears us, we really don’t feel like praying because it just feels like a waste of time. Have you ever prayed and it felt like you were talking to the wall? It’s not a good and motivating feeling that makes you want to pray, right? Our struggle with doubt can many times be rooted in our view of God and what we know about Him or what we don’t know about Him. The truth is, the Bible reveals that God is with us, He cares for us, and He does hear our prayers. When I think of someone who rejected doubt and chose to pray anyway, I think of Daniel. For three weeks, Daniel prayed and fasted for God to answer his prayer and he did not stop until he got an answer. In Daniel Chapter 10, we read that God sent an angel to give Daniel understanding about his prayer the first time he prayed. Daniel 10:12 reads:
“Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” (Daniel 10:12 ESV)
The Bible tells us “since the first day” Daniel prayed, God answered. The first day. How encouraging is it to know that those prayers you’ve been praying were heard the very first time, that God is moving in the heavenly realm to answer your prayers even when it looks like nothing is happening, when it looks like you’ve waited beyond your waiting point, and there is no sign or clue in sight of what you’ve been waiting for. How freeing is it to know that God is working on it right now as we speak?
But what if Daniel doubted? What if he stopped praying the first time because he didn’t get an immediate answer? Daniel chose to believe beyond what he could see and cling to the truth about God: that God is real and He does hear and answer our prayers. If we don’t believe this, doubt will win.
This is what I want to challenge you with: if you are going to doubt, doubt your doubt. Ask yourself, what if God does hear you? What if what you need is one prayer away? What if Jesus is telling the truth when He says He will answer when we call? Today, I encourage you to surrender your doubt to Jesus and believe that He hears and answers you when you pray.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for always hearing me when I pray and answering me. When I am tempted to doubt You, remind me of Your faithfulness in my life. In Jesus Christ’s Name, I pray, Amen.