Yehovah is Answering Your Prayers

Sometimes he answers so quickly after we pray, we don’t realize that that was the answer. It was more simple than we thought.

Isaiah 65:24
“It will also come to pass that before the call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”

This is a prophecy about the millennium, however this also happens today. You might have had this experience, as I have. 

When you pray, look, watch and listen for the answer. Look for the slightest bread crumbs and follow that path. I found that sometimes he does answer us directly in the voice of our spirit. But other times someone else will say something that contains the answer. And other times he puts a song in our head, or brings up a song on our playlist that contains the exact right answer. It could be that we’re looking for a long answer, but he answers with only one word. Be alert, believing he heard you and in anticipation of how he will answer you.

There are also times he’s answered us, but we don’t believe that could be the answer. Maybe we don’t agree with it, it seems impossible or everyone else and conventional wisdom is telling you something else.

Another way we can miss Yehovah’s answer is described in Exodus 6:9:
“Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.”

Sometimes we’re so distraught or discouraged that we can’t hear him responding. If you suspect this may be happening to you, ask someone else if they will pray with you and listen for an answer.

Psalm 5:1-3:
“Give ear to my words, Adonai, consider my inmost thoughts. Listen to my cry for help, my king and my God, for I pray to you.  Adonai, in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I lay my needs before you and wait expectantly.”

Answering Prayer Sometimes Takes Effort On Our Part

Yehovah may not always answer you, but I believe he always responds. We need to perceive his response.

I have found many times while I’m praying for a relationship or situation I’m in to change, I begin to realize that I need to change.  That’s actually great news – that’s something within my control, and I can start as quickly as I want.

Often as I’m praying, the Spirit will bring to mind my motives of why I’m praying for that.  I find that when that happens, I likely need to change my prayer to something that aligns with Yehovah’s agenda and priorities instead of my own. When we’re aligned with him, and pray as the Spirit leads us, that prayer will get answered. He will not direct you to pray for something he does not intend to answer.

If you’re not seeing the answer, ask him to show you his response vs. his answer. Many of our prayers require changes that may be imperceptible to us, or changes in others that we cannot see.  Believe that he’s responding, thank him for what he’s already doing, and ask him to make you aware of how he’s working.

Maybe he has already answered you.  The answer may be hidden in plain sight.  Often I will pray for something, and he shows me how several things he’s already doing actually answer my prayer. What things has he told you recently?  Is the answer already there?

When Yehovah is Silent

On occasion no answer is an answer.  It can mean several things, including:

• Just wait and the answer will become clear.
• If you wait, your question will be irrelevant because he’s doing something else that will resolve it.
• Sometimes he doesn’t have an opinion either way.  Maybe this is not a critical decision that’s going to throw you off the path.  Possibly he’s given you two or three good choices, any of which would be within his will. 
• Yehovah has given us free will and sometimes requires that we make our own decision. It may be which car to buy or even who to choose as a spouse. When we are required to make the decision, we take responsibility and commit to it.  He has not raised us to maturity to be his puppets. He has raised us up to be able to discern his will and make decisions that align with him and his heart.

Is It Our Choice Or His?

As we become more and more aligned with the heart of Yehovah and surrender our will to his, our voices can start sounding alike, our own thoughts and desires begin to mirror his. When this happens, we may be unsure if we are acting on his agenda or our own.  Here are some practical ways you can decipher or confirm his will.  These are also useful when you believe Yehovah is leaving the choice up to you:

• Look at the trend of where he’s taking you. Which option would keep you closest to that trajectory?
• What else has he told you recently? How does this decision tie into other principles he is teaching you or has taught you?
• Listen to your spirit versus your head. Your head requires logic, data, opinions, approval. Your spirit compels you to act on what you know is right beyond the data and human logic. 
• Sometimes we need a second or third opinion to make sure we’re doing the right thing. Seek out wise, experienced and objective people to talk with.
• One question I often ask myself is, “Who in the Bible was faced with this, and what did they do about it?”

The #1 Way to Make Sure Your Prayer is Answered

Ask Yehovah to show you his heart for the situation you have in mind, then align with him, and pray for that with thanksgiving, believing he will bring about his will.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Phil. 4:6

Believe in Him

Daniel 10:12:
“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.’”

On the Sabbath I typically choose just one thing to pray for.  And then I watch for it.  He has rarely ever failed to answer or respond to that prayer by the end of the weekend. Recently I thought of my one prayer, then decided that I already believed he was doing that, so I chose something else. But that one too, I had already prayed for and was believing for an answer. So I settled on a third item.  By Sunday night, he answered the third one and confirmed the other two.  Believe in him!

For Further Study

If you are unsure whether Yehovah is hearing you or have not had any response or answers, there may be issues hindering your prayers. Here is a list of scriptures for further study.

2 Chronicles 7:14-15
James 4:3
Matthew 21:22
Proverbs 1:23-31
1 John 5:14
Psalm 66:16-20
1 Peter 3:12

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