Session 5

Is God Really Listening?

From Jonah: A 7-Day Devotional

You pull up to a drive-thru window, place your order, pull around to pay and after driving off, you discover that what’s in the bag isn’t what you ordered. You’re too far down the road to turn around, and you’re still hungry. You’re annoyed, but you eat it anyway.

Maybe your prayer life sounds a lot like this scenario. You ask God for something and His answer isn’t what you imagined. Maybe nothing happens and you’re not sure He’s even listening. In Jonah 2, Jonah is “deep in the realm of the dead” and calling out for help. Jonah was drowning in the sea as well as his own shame.

Jonah was on the run from God. His situation was a result of his own actions that left him feeling like he had been “banished from God’s sight.” But God didn’t punish him. Instead, God heard his cries and answered him. Jonah prayed to be saved, but being swallowed up and vomited out by a large fish wasn’t exactly what Jonah had in mind.

Jonah wasn’t the only one whose prayers were answered in an unexpected way. In Luke 22:42, Jesus asked God to save Him from crucifixion, but He still died on the cross.  As a result, we have the greatest gift ever – salvation!

Sometimes God seems to answer our prayers just the way we asked. Sometimes, it appears He’s not listening at all. Pray continually and know that unlike the employee at the drive-thru, God hears us clearly and always knows what we need.

Reflect

• When was the last time God heard your cries for help and answered your prayers? What can you learn from reflecting on that time in your life?
• Need someone to pray with you or for you? Let us know here.