I was upstairs in our Master bathroom the other day, just about to begin working on my usual evening routine. With my phone in hand, I pulled up an audio file from my playlists, scrolled through 33 options and thought—this will be perfect as I shower! It was a message I had saved from a Women’s Conference I had attended back in 2014 by Lisa Bevere. I hit play, but no sound. Come on! I powered off the phone and tried again. My husband was out of town so I was home alone with our girls. We had just finished their showers, homework, and dinner when I left them in the living room watching Odd Squad so I could shower as well.
Discontented, but ready to move on to the next thing, I decided to just jump in the shower and sing instead. I love music! Halfway through the shower, I began to hear Lisa’s sermon. It was surprisingly very clear, but the sound was coming from our bedroom—right outside the double doors that lead to our bathroom. I was confused. The phone (I could see it) was still by the sink in the bathroom. But the familiar sermon was playing and the unforgettable narratives Lisa tells in her “Lioness Arising” message were captivating my heart yet again.
You see, I had completely forgotten that my phone was connected to our Brookstone Bluetooth Speaker which was downstairs sitting on the kitchen counter. So all along, while my girls were trying to watch TV, they were hearing Lisa speaking from the kitchen-SMILE! Each time I had restarted the phone, they heard the message start again and again. I know! I assumed it wasn’t working—I was wrong, it was. The girls (they are ages 6 and 8 now) were so interested in Lisa’s message that they had literally stopped watching their kid’s show, carried the speaker upstairs, placed it as close to (me) as possible so that I could hear what they knew I was hoping to hear.
They seemed to understand something very important. Mommy has no idea this thing is playing just fine down here. Apparently, proximity affects reception?! Who knew? Lol!
As soon as I opened the bathroom doors—the very first thought that crossed my mind was, “what thoughtful girls I have!” They were sitting right by the speaker, laughing and engaged. They understood my need AND sought to help me out. All three of us were blessed immensely when it was all said and done! That message was incredible. The very next thought that followed without much thinking was the thought you read as the title of this devotion. Isn’t this almost always the case? We’re in a situation, we pray about it. We pray again, but we hear NOTHING. We throw our hand up in complete frustration. What’s the use? God does not hear us. This is not true. In fact, quite the opposite is true. God is hearing you just fine. You just don’t know how clearly He hears you.
That Bluetooth speaker is one of the clearest sound systems we have ever owned in our house!
And as I got to thinking about it, is not prayer wired precisely in that same exact way? It channels out of our hearts (spoken and unspoken sorrows, burdens, pain, tears, fears, struggles) right into the presence of the ONE these are intended for—a caring and HEARING God. In fact, God says this about Himself (Psalm 94:9 does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?) We may hear nothing but silence, but believe me if the angels were to carry God’s Ultra-Clear-Bluetooth within our proximity, we would seriously leap for JOY and lose the worry that plagues us. When the posture of our heart is humble, receptive and willing to search out God by CONNECTING with Him in prayer for guidance, provision, wisdom, healing, joy, and hope—heaven’s virtual Bluetooth (automatically turns on). You and I have no need to babble, repeat ourselves over and over or second-guess whether HE hears us. All that’s left is for us to believe that yes, indeed the sound of our prayers is CLEAR and AUDIBLE in God’s presence. So we must talk to Him like we talk to a trusted friend and believe that He will do for us what we have asked of Him! Here’s why we can…
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to HIS will, HE hears us. And if we know that HE hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of HIM. (1 John 5:14-15)
For HIS glory!
Journey well.
Marlene Maina 