There is a lot going on today that can be quite scary if you aren’t fully trusting in Jesus, our Savior. Sometimes, in the busyness of life, we can feel unheard and alone, but if you have trusted Jesus as Savior, you are never alone. He knows you. He is with you. He hears you and listens.

The humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive. For the Lord hears the needy And does not despise His who are prisoners. (Psalm 69:32-33) {emphasis mine}

I’m sure many of you are going through hard times. You’ve lost a loved one. You or loved ones are having health problems. The prices of everything, especially food and energy, have skyrocketed and are stretching many budgets to the limit. Many of you may be experiencing persecution for your belief in God. Persecution isn’t pleasant, whether it is just taunting or is severe persecution where you don’t know if you or your family will survive to see tomorrow. The important thing to remember is that God hears you. He knows what you are experiencing. He is using hardship to mold you into the godly man or woman He wants you to be. He is there to provide for you, in this life and/or in eternity.

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. (1 John 5:14-15) {emphasis mine}

I understand that in the middle of hardship, it can be hard to feel God’s presence. It can be hard to believe that God hears us. It can be hard to see how your current difficulties can serve any good purpose, but do not lose heart. God hears you. Continue to call on Him. Cast your hurts and needs on Him and trust Him to carry the burden and to make all things right in the end.

In 1 John 5 above, it says, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Many times, we think we know the best solution to our problems and pray for a particular outcome. We are told to pray “according to His will.” I know that I don’t always know exactly what God’s will is in a particular circumstance. I’ve learned the best response is to pray my problem and to leave the solution to God. His solution, although not necessarily what I want, is always the best solution in the long run. God looks at everything through an eternal perspective that we mortal humans cannot fully comprehend and especially can’t see in the midst of suffering. Share your hurts, doubts, concerns, and needs with God and leave the results to Him. He knows them all, but wants you to come to Him honestly and to lean on Him.

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. (Psalm 145:18-19) {emphasis mine}

God says He will “fulfill the desire of those who fear Him.” Sometimes He fulfills the desires we have now, but often He fulfills our desires by changing our desires to be more in alignment with His own. He helps us to see from an eternal perspective. He helps us to desire what He desires,–not just what is pleasant in the moment, but what is best eternally.

I love the Lord, because He hears My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live. The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. (Psalm 116:1-6) {emphasis mine}

Too often we think God should give us certain things because we are serving Him. We need to love Him because of who He is and not just for what He does for us. We need to trust that He hears us and will provide for us, but sometimes we have to suffer to prepare us for the great things He has planned for us, i.e. Joseph. Never stop calling out to God. Never lose faith. Never doubt that He hears you and is working towards the fulfillment of His loving, very good plan.

Sometimes we can have a brief separation from God because of our sins. God won’t bless us while we are in habitual, blatant sin. He won’t bless those who dishonor Him with their words and actions. This isn’t referring to the natural, occasional sins that everyone alive commits. This refers to blatant and continual disobedience, denial of God’s word, dishonoring His name before others, etc. Even in these cases, the moment we repent and cry out to Him, He draws us to Himself and leads us in the way we should go.

Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them. (Exodus 2:23-25) {emphasis mine}

God hears our groaning. He knows our needs. Cry out to Him today.

Jesus also set an example for us to follow. While on earth in human form, Jesus made a point of spending extended, regular time in prayer. Even when He was tired and/or busy, He stepped away and prayed. If Jesus needed to spend time in prayer with the Father, how much more do we need to do the same.

In the days of His flesh, He [Jesus] offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, (Hebrews 5:7-9) {emphasis & clarification mine}

Just as Jesus was heard, so also we are heard by the Father who loves us.

May you never lose your desire for time talking to God, nor lose your honest prayer to God for your needs and concerns. May you trust God that He knows what is best and that He will provide what you really need in all situations. May you not lose faith and hope during trials, but grow in closeness and faith in your Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Trust Jesus.

If you do not yet know Jesus, I beg you to trust in Him. Below are some verses that will tell you what you need to know to be saved. If you have any questions, I’d love to answer them. Just message me on Substack.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

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For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

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that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (Romans 10:9)

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If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:9-10)

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For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

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He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

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But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.