Prayer | a 4-Day Skate Church Movement DevotionalНамуна

Does God listen?

“I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4

If you’ve been immersed in the skate scene for a while, I’m sure you’re familiar with the term “Baker Maker.” Baker Makers are those tricks where you land, but maybe you had a hand or toe drag. Maybe you snapped your tail as you landed, but you still rolled away. Either way, technically speaking, you still landed your trick even though it may have been sloppy. In a similar way to how friends can convince us we didn’t really “land” a trick because it wasn’t super clean, sometimes we can be worried or concerned that God doesn’t hear or listen to our prayers, especially if we aren’t used to praying or don’t know how to pray the best.

Do you ever wonder if God is really listening? Do you ever ask God, “Can you even hear me?” There is a promise in the Bible that when we seek God with all of our heart, we will find him. We can be confident that He hears us, He listens, and He responds like a good father. Over and over in Psalms, we are reminded of this promise. “O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning, I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:1-3)

We can go to God with our requests and ask Him for help. Then we need to just wait patiently for an answer. We shouldn’t doubt or question if He listens. We need to trust and expect that He will answer. Like a kid that goes to bed on Christmas Eve knowing his parents are loving and will have a gift waiting for him in the morning; not because he has earned it, but because he knows he is loved.

It is comforting to know that God hears our cry for help. When we struggle or when we are going through hard times, we can cry out to God for help and comfort because He is a good father. No father wants to see their kids struggle and be in pain. Cry out to God and be confident He will be there for you.

Check out what David says in Psalm 34:15: “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; His ears are open to their cries for help.” That means God pays attention to our prayers. If we go back a few more verses, we see that David sought after the Lord. “Sought” means to seek or to go after something in order to find it. David went to God, and God answered his prayer.

So next time you’re struggling and are in need of God’s help, don’t be hesitant to go to Him with your prayers and know that He loves you and hears you. Even if you fumble in your words or take forever to get your words out, God knows exactly what it is you’re trying to say. At the end of the day, when our prayers are said and done, our hearts speak louder than our words. So be brave and share your heart with your Creator, knowing He loves you and hears you always, even if some of your prayers might feel like “Baker Makers.”

Pushing further

1. What issue or circumstance in your life do you need to ask God to help you with?
2. Are there ways that God has already been helping you or working in your life?

Want more content like this? We adapted this Plan from a 52-week Skate Church Movement Devotional Book. Get your book at skatechurchmovement.com.