HE HEARS YOU by jamie robison

In every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. 
Philippians 4:6

Sometimes my prayers are intentional and thought-out, maybe even a little too much so. Sometimes my prayers are just more of a scattered conversation to God throughout the day. Sometimes they are desperate, almost to the point of giving up, and other times they are full of confidence and faith. 

God hears them all, and knows our hearts behind them. He hears the desperate pleas and the casual invitations of conversation throughout the day. What I love about Philippians 4:6 is that it urges us to press toward God and lean on him with expectant and thankful hearts. But what I find even more sustaining comes in the next verse:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

These verses don't say, "God will give you everything you are asking for." But they do remind us that being in the presence of God, inviting him into every situation, will settle our souls with a peace that cannot be understood apart from him—whether or not our prayers are answered how we would've hoped. 

My head spins when I think about why some prayers are answered and others aren't. My thoughts become judgmental and my heart aches with what I think would have been a just answer to a desperate prayer. But when I'm able to approach my God with a heart full of gratitude, full of perseverance and a motive that is in line with God's bigger picture, my prayers become less about the answers and more about the desire to be near to him and let him walk me through this life. 

Being in the presence of God will give you strength. It will give you new peace. The act of simply drawing near to him will bring us more life and sustenance to endure each and every situation. 

Draw near to him. He hears you.

Thank you for reading...it's great to be back! 

Jamie 
jrobison@b4church.org