As I pulled into work, a strange noise hit my ears. More like a lot of noises. An enormous flock of starlings darted in and out of the trees. All of them squawking and chittering all at once. I could barely hear the traffic over their frantic tweets. What struck me is that, in all the drumming clamor, I could actually pick out individual bird songs.
A warmth spread over me. That is what God hears when I pray to him. The thought of prayers lifted up all over the world may seem deafening to our imaginations, and yet our Lord can decipher each individual one. I never have to worry if mine gets "lost" in the shuffle. Whether 15,000,000 people are praying at the same time I am or just a few, it is heard. After all, he knows the whisperings of my heart before it even hits my brain and comes out of my mouth (Psalm 44:21)[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+44%3A21&version=NIV].
Never buy into the lie that God is too busy to listen to you. Or that your prayers are not knocking on Heaven’s door. They are. Claim that confidence that God hears, and what is more, he cares. Your voice is not being drowned out by others who seem more pious or holy to you.
He is waiting to hear your individual voice call his name whether you shout out your prayer or whisper it. It doesn’t matter what you have done in the past. If you come with a pure, contrite heart, he will listen.
_Heavenly Father, please forgive me for thinking you are not listening to me. Do not allow my past mistakes keep me from believing you are there and you care about my prayers. Tell me again you love me and are always ready to hear my pleas if I humbly bring them to you with a contrite heart. I pray this through Jesus Christ. Amen. _
Throughout the Day: Stop and listen. See how many individual sounds you pick up in the symphony of life. Let it remind you that God listens to you each time you call upon him.
Photo Credit: Boris Baldinger on Unsplash