Does God Hear Our Prayers?

1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

Acts 12:1-3 [NIV]

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Acts 12:5 [NIV]

13 When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew…

Matthew 14:13 [CEB]

18 John’s disciples told Him about all these things…

Luke 7:18 [NIV]

1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, He entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to come and heal His servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with Him, “This man deserves to have You do this…”

Luke 7:1-4 [NIV]

12 As He approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out — the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.

Luke 7:12 [NIV]

3 “Are You the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

Matthew 11:3 [NLT]

12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.”

Luke 1:12-13 [NIV]

1. Prayer Often Shapes Our Character Before It Changes Our Circumstances.

6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.

Luke 1:6 [NIV]

16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 [NIV] 

3 We know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame…

Romans 5:3-4 [NIV]

21 If an inheritance is gained too early in life, it will not be blessed in the end.

Proverbs 20:21 [TPT]

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12 [NIV]

2. Prayer Gives Us Strength To Be Faithful While Waiting.

5 There was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah.

Luke 1:5 [NIV]

20 Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit…

Jude 1:20 [NIV]

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 

Luke 1:8-9 [NIV]

8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

Revelation 5:8 [NIV] 

3. God’s Silence Does Not Mean God Is Distant.

13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.”

Luke 1:13 [NIV]

17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Luke 1:17 [NIV]