God Does Hear!

                                                                         By Pastor F. M. Riley

                                                                         October 13, 2021

    “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry,”  Psalm 34:15. 

INTRODUCTION

     We believers are sometimes rebuked by lost, unbelievers, claiming that our praying to an invisible God is foolishness.  Is that so?  Do believers pray to a God who really doesn’t exist?  Are our prayers to our presently unseen Heavenly Father, just foolishness?  My desire in this study, is to magnify the grace, the mercy, the  power, and the reality  of the Lord Jesus Christ, and  of Father God, Who sent Jesus into the world for the salvation and blessing  of all who will believe. 

THE CALIFORNIA FIRES

    For the third year in a row, terrible wildfires have swept, or are sweeping through parts of California, even as I write, burning buildings, homes, and even entire towns.  Some have died, and thousands have lost their homes and earthly  possessions in the fires.  I have previously wrote about the eyes of the Lord watching over His people in these terrible fires.  I want to write about it again. 

     I think the little town was named Meta, although I have misplaced the reports I had on it.  The little town was in northern California.  The fires had been raging out of control for several days.  Flames were leaping fifty feet or more into the air from the intense heat.  The roar of the fire was almost deafening to anyone close to the approaching

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firewall.  Due to the prevailing winds, that little town was directly in the

 path of the approaching fire.  Warnings had been given by the fire fighters, giving the people living in the area, advance notice to evacuate the whole area, including the little town.   However…….

     At one edge of the town was a little Baptist Church.  I think the name was Meta Baptist Church.  Anyway, the members of that small church met to pray that Almighty God would have mercy on their church, their homes, and their town, all of which was directly in the path of the approaching inferno.  The highway was still open near the church, and the people thought they would have time for a quick prayer meeting and then could still evacuate before the fire reached them.  So they had met for  their prayer meeting!  Including their Pastor and his family, there was 34 people who met to pray. 

     But while they were in prayer, the wind increased, blowing sparks and fireballs ahead of the main firewall.   This  started fires ahead of the main firewall.  The people suddenly realized they  were cut off from the highway and had no way to evacuate.  Their little church building was a wood frame building, and would easily ignite and burn like a torch.  They were trapped! To say they feared for their lives was an understatement.  But their godly Pastor urged them  to bow on their knees before God and pray like they had never prayed before. 
 And that is what they did!  34 people crying out to God for mercy. 

     The raging, roaring, firewall came right on toward them, but then something strange, and humanly unexplainable happened.  Just before the firewall reached their little church building, the firewall parted, and went  around both sides of the building.  When the firewall had roared past the building it came back together again, and kept right on burning

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everything in it’s  path.

     Those 34 grateful church members, began to shout praises of thanksgiving to the Lord God for sparing their lives.

     When the people emerged from the building, their entire town was gone.  Everything was burned into ashes in every direction they looked.  But their little wood frame church building?  It didn’t even appear to have been scorched by the fire.  Oh, how merciful and mighty is our God!

    Dear readers, what I have related here is not a fantasy or a fairy tale. It really did happen, and is now documented history.   Any readers willing to check out the news reports can verify it for themselves. 

THE POWER OF PRAYER

    Prayer is the resource God has graciously given for His believing people, when our human strength and resources have failed.  As true believers, we should be using the resource of prayer daily, whether we are in desparate need or not.    

     The Lord Jesus told His disciples that if we ask anything in His Name, believing, that it would be done for us of the Father in Heaven.  I cannot think of a better example of this truth, than what has been related in this study.  Are our readers using the resource the Lord God has provided for us?  No!  Then lets look at another example of how our Great God hears and answers the sincere  prayers of His people…….       

MAGGIE CAME HOME

    A couple of weeks ago, an elderly lady in our community passed away.  She  had two little dogs which had lived in her home for years.  Now there was no one to care for the dogs. 

    My daughter requested and was given the two little dogs.  One little

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dog’s name was Boone.  The name of the other was Maggie.  This was

 the names given them by the lady who had passed away, and my daughter, wanting to make their transition to a new home easier for them,  continued to call them by the names they had known for years.    Both dogs were several years old, and had never known any home other than the one from which they were removed.   Therefore, entering into our home, several  miles away from where they had lived for years, must have been a traumatic experience for them. 

    In order to keep them from wandering off until they realized our home would now be their home, we kept them on a leash when they were taken outside.    

     But, without giving it any real thought, the next morning someone opened the door and little Boone slipped  out.  Our home is in the country, and surrounded by thick brush and trees.  Boone vanished into the tangled woods, and did not return.  When we realized he had gotten out, we searched and called for him, but to no avail.  Finally we gave up the search, and just  prayed that the Lord would bring him back.  The next morning Boone came up the driveway, and back to our house.  I presume he figured out that he had no other place to go and decided to come back to us.  We knew then we needed to be very careful about letting the two little dogs out, until they realized that our home was now their home. 

    But the next day one of our grandkids opened the door and Maggie went running out.  She too vanished into the brush and woods.  Once again, we searched for her all day and up into the night. calling her name, and doing everything we knew to do, trying to find her.  No response. 

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     Maggie was gone for nearly three days and nights.  So long we   began thinking we would likely never see her again.  Nevertheless, both my daughter and I prayed for the Lord to bring Maggie back to us.  On the morning of the fourth day since she had vanished,  when we opened the door, there on the porch sit Maggie, wagging her tail and wanting someone to pet her, and give her some food.  Even after three days and nights lost in the woods, God graciously brought Maggie home!  Glory to God! 

GOD DOES CARE AND HEAR!

     These two examples of God hearing and answering the prayers of His believing people confirm the truth stated in Psalm 34:15. 

    The first example sets forth the Lord’s miracle working power on behalf of His people.    

    This second example is just a small, more personal thing.  Yet, in both cases, God heard, and answered our prayers.   Glory to God!

     Dear readers, if you are a true believer, DO NOT neglect your prayer life.  The Father, the Son, and yes, the Holy Spirit are waiting to hear from you.  Always pray in the precious name of the Lord Jesus, for it is through receiving Christ as our Savior, that we are given access to God’s throne of grace and mercy. 

    The Apostle Paul was used of the Lord to set forth instructions for the Lord’s church and believing people, and one of those instructions is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” 

    This Scripture means what it says, and says what it means.  God’s people should be praying about EVERYTHING which they are confronted with in this life.  Get up in the morning thanking God for His mercy and protection during the night, and asking for His direction through the

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 day.  Thank God for the food on your table, for the roof over your head, and for the clothes on your body.  When you drive, ask God for driving grace, so that you will not be involved in an accident.  When you go to a store, thank God for providing the funds you need, or for a job to earn those needed funds.   Go to bed at night praying for a good night’s rest, and God’s protection while you sleep.  “Pray without ceasing.”   

    Dear readers, GOD DOES HEAR the prayers of His people,  and He is waiting right now to hear from YOU.   Okay?

     If the reader is a lost unbeliever, then call upon the Lord in sincere  prayer for the salvation of your soul, and He will hear and answer you.  Read it for yourself in Romans 10:8-13.   

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