Thank Before You Pray

Thank Before You Pray By Karen Pourbabaee “Father, I thank You for hearing me.” John 11:41 Jesus prayed this short prayer for His friend Lazarus, who lay lifeless in a dark tomb, just before his miraculous rising to life. It was a prayer of gratitude offered before Jesus’ specific request. It spoke of a confidant trust that the Father was listening and paying attention to the events on earth that His beloved Son was walking through. Jesus knew he was not abandoned on His earthly pilgrimage. God the Father even heard the whispers of His heart. Do you ever wonder if God is listening? Even after thousands of prayers over a lifetime, sometimes we may still wonder…perhaps because of seemingly unanswered prayer, unexplained delays, feelings of distance. But like His beloved Son, He hears us. Even if He seems far away. To hear means to heed, mark, note, pay attention to, receive information. The Father who loves us as His own is paying attention as we speak, taking notes of our heart’s cry. I imagine Him lovingly keeping the journal of our heart’s pilgrimage on earth; alongside it sits the bottle of our tears. He will not forget our pleas. He perceives more than our words. He listens to our hearts. And sometimes behind the words of our prayers are unknown desires and dreams waiting to be revealed. Abba knows them well.  So His answers will come. He has written them in our journal. His answer will be revealed in His time, according to His will. Perhaps beyond our imagination. Like Jesus, let us give thanks for His hearing our words and our hearts as we kneel before Him.