God is Listening
Sometimes when we pray, it can feel like there isn't anybody listening.
In what way would your prayer life be different if you prayed with complete confidence that God was listening to you with full attention?
On April 29th, the Chicago Whitesox played the Baltimore Orioles at Baltimore’s stadium, Camden Yards. Baltimore played an exciting game, but no Orioles fans were there to see their team win. There were no Whitesox fans either.
The stadium was empty.
In the days leading up to the game, there had been riots and protests in Baltimore. Officials felt that a large gathering in a baseball stadium may be dangerous. So Major League Baseball and the city of Baltimore decided that the teams should still play, but with no fans in attendance.
Players later talked about how weird it was to play a game in front of thousands of empty seats. The Orioles’ catcher, Caleb Joseph, ran over to the stands and jokingly pretended to sign autographs during pre-game.
I asked Caleb Joseph what it was like to play a base- ball game in front of nobody. Here's what he shared:
In the same way that Joseph and other players felt eerie playing a game in front of nobody, it can
feel
odd when
we pray.
Have you ever taken time to pray but felt like nobody was listening—like you were speaking into an empty space?
Once Daniel (the same Daniel who the king tried to feed to lions) prayed for three weeks and didn’t receive any response from God.
After three weeks, a man appeared to him who had eyes flaming torches, a face like lightning, and belt made of gold, and the voice of a multitude. The angel explained to Daniel why he was late in responding to Daniel’s prayer, and then gave Daniel this assurance in v. 12:
The angel's words to Daniel remind of what Caleb Joseph said about playing the baseball game in front of an empty stadium: people we couldn't see or hear were paying attention to what we were doing. Even though we usually can't see or hear God, He is paying close attention to what we do and say.
During your time alone with God, focus on the angel’s words to Daniel as if the angel were speaking them to you. Replace Daniel's name with your own and hear the angel's voice speaking to you.
In what way would your prayer life be different if you prayed with complete confidence that God was listening to you with full attention?
 |
| Photo from businessinsider.com |
On April 29th, the Chicago Whitesox played the Baltimore Orioles at Baltimore’s stadium, Camden Yards. Baltimore played an exciting game, but no Orioles fans were there to see their team win. There were no Whitesox fans either.
The stadium was empty.
In the days leading up to the game, there had been riots and protests in Baltimore. Officials felt that a large gathering in a baseball stadium may be dangerous. So Major League Baseball and the city of Baltimore decided that the teams should still play, but with no fans in attendance.
Players later talked about how weird it was to play a game in front of thousands of empty seats. The Orioles’ catcher, Caleb Joseph, ran over to the stands and jokingly pretended to sign autographs during pre-game.
I asked Caleb Joseph what it was like to play a base- ball game in front of nobody. Here's what he shared:
"I remember feeling very out of place when I took the field. Typically there are fans yelling and screaming and this time it was complete silence. It almost felt as if I was at the wrong field, or the game time had changed. It was definitely the opposite of what I was used to, or what was 'normal.'
But then I remember thinking that even though there wasn't anybody in the stands, there were probably tens of thousands of people watching on TV. People we couldn't see or hear from the field were paying attention to what we were doing."
 |
| Orioles' Catcher Caleb Joseph Image from Orioles and MLB. |
Have you ever taken time to pray but felt like nobody was listening—like you were speaking into an empty space?
Once Daniel (the same Daniel who the king tried to feed to lions) prayed for three weeks and didn’t receive any response from God.
After three weeks, a man appeared to him who had eyes flaming torches, a face like lightning, and belt made of gold, and the voice of a multitude. The angel explained to Daniel why he was late in responding to Daniel’s prayer, and then gave Daniel this assurance in v. 12:
“Do not be afraid,
Daniel.
Since
the
first day you set
your mind to gain understanding
and to humble yourself before
your God,
your words
have
been heard,
and I have come in response to them.”
The angel's words to Daniel remind of what Caleb Joseph said about playing the baseball game in front of an empty stadium: people we couldn't see or hear were paying attention to what we were doing. Even though we usually can't see or hear God, He is paying close attention to what we do and say.
During your time alone with God, focus on the angel’s words to Daniel as if the angel were speaking them to you. Replace Daniel's name with your own and hear the angel's voice speaking to you.
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