God Hears Our Prayers: 15 Bible Verses to Help You Know for Sure

Inside: God hears our prayers—you want to believe it but you’re starting to doubt. Here are 15 Bible verses to strengthen your faith and your prayer life. Don’t forget to download the guide for how to power up your prayers when you’re feeling unsure.

Can you blame me for wondering if God hears our prayers?

By then, my prayer journals were bursting at the seams with my desperate prayers. Heck, I almost got writer’s cramp from pouring them out. Day after day, countless heartfelt, fervent, prayers for God’s help and rescue.

And my poor knees. I spent what felt like years on them, begging and pleading with God, “Help me! Answer me! Please!”

By the time I started doubting that God hears our prayers, it felt like I’d been praying without ceasing for eons. You’d have thought after so much praying without an answer—it seemed—I’d have been fresh out of words and hope.

But even in my doubt, I felt like I had no other chance of rescue, which is why I kept asking God for His help. Still, He never seemed to answer.

No wonder I had one persistent, unanswered question rattling around in my brain: “I know I should believe God hears our prayers. But does He really?”

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get this free printable download—Your Faith & Trust Reboot. It gives you 5 simple tweaks to power up your prayers for direction so you can triumph over doubt and fear.

Does God Hear My Prayers?

Yes, God hears our prayers. Always.

Like me, having been on your knees for longer than you care to remember, pouring out what feels like unanswered prayers, I can see how you’d start to doubt. No one can blame you for wondering if God hears your prayers or if He’s ignoring you.

But as it turns out, the promise of God hearing your prayers—of always listening to you—is all over the Bible. So let’s shore up your faith with the truth from God’s word.

Then we’ll learn 5 important Bible truths to show why you may be missing His answers to your prayers.

All Scripture quotations are from the ESV unless otherwise noted.

God Hears Our Prayers: 5 Reassuring Verses from Psalms

Scripture is replete with evidence that God hears your prayers, a pretty high concentration of which you can find in the Book of Psalms. Here’s a selection to bolster your faith.

I cried out to him with my mouth, and praise was on my tongue. If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. However, God has listened; he has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. Psalm 66:17-19 (CSB)

In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Psalm 18:6

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2

Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. Psalm 55:17

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Psalm 4:3

Does God Hear All Prayers? The Answer from 5 New Testament Verses

Of course, the Psalms aren’t the only place in the Bible where you can get answers about whether or not God hears your prayers. Let’s look at some key verses from the New Testament.

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” John 11:41-42

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12

The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.” John 9:30-31

And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.” Acts 10:30-31

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” Luke 1:13

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get this free printable download—Your Faith & Trust Reboot. It gives you 5 simple tweaks to power up your prayers for direction so you can triumph over doubt and fear.

God Hears Your Prayers: 5 Encouraging Bible Verses from the Prophets

As the mediators between God and His people, the prophets also had quite a bit to say about God hearing our prayers.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13

“I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’” Lamentations 3:55-56

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. Isaiah 65:24

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear. Isaiah 59:1

Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” Daniel 10:12

But Here’s the Problem

Hopefully, you now know the truth without a doubt: God hears your prayers…all of them.

So now you’re probably wondering, “If He hears me, why doesn’t He answer me already??”

I wondered the same thing too. And just like you may have, I came to some totally wrong conclusions.

I figured since He wasn’t answering me, I must not be special to God like I’d wanted to believe I was. Plus, I was almost one hundred percent convinced God didn’t love me like I thought He did.

Related: One Helpful Question You Need To Start Hearing God’s Voice

My darling, if this is where your head is at, you’re as wrong as I was!

The truth is, God always hears and answers your prayers but you may be missing signs that He’s speaking to you.

So let’s look at 5 lessons from the Bible for why God is silent in your life. Well, at least…why He seems to be.

God Hears Our Prayers: 5 Lessons from Scripture for When You Think He Doesn’t

You’ve decided what you want and you’ve prayed about it. Maybe it’s for Him to rescue you from your situation. Maybe it’s for Him to make a toxic relationship whole again. Or maybe it’s simple pleading for Him to show you He’s there and He hears your prayers.

So why doesn’t God answer you?

It can seem like God doesn’t hear your prayers because of some assumptions and expectations you don’t even know you have.

1. You think God is your personal genie.

You’ve decided what you want and you’ve prayed about it. And you think once you’ve done your part—the praying—God should get on the case and see about delivering what you prayed for.

This is more common than you know so don’t feel bad. You’re for sure not alone in this misunderstanding of who God is and how He works.

But remember, we’re talking about our God of the universe!

Yes, God hears your prayers. But He isn’t at your beck and call, waiting to snap His fingers and give you whatever you want. You serve Him, not the other way around.

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in.

Isaiah 40:22

2. You expect God to respond in your timing.

God’s answer to your request may very well be, “Yes.” But this doesn’t mean He’ll snap His holy fingers and give you what you want right now. God always responds in His own timing, not yours.

Related: 7 Practical Truths About God’s Timing And Plan That Will Boost Your Faith

Like the angel who came in response to Daniel’s questions about his vision, your answer simply may be delayed.

The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia.

Daniel 10:13

3. You’re looking for yes.

You’re used to deciding what’s best for you so, naturally, you assume that your decision is the right way to go. Then you pray for God to give it to you, fully expecting Him to say yes. I mean, anyone with eyes can see it’s the best option. Right?

So you pray, “Holy Spirit, show me how to save this relationship.”

Or, “Lord Jesus Christ, help me hang on to this job.”

Or, “Father, please take this unhappiness away from me.”

But God has a literal universal view of things and you don’t. So what you think is best may not, in fact, be what’s best for you. Heck, it may not even be good for you!

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James 4:3

Related: 3 Guaranteed Signs God Is Trying to Get Your Attention

4. You used the magic words.

You may have a subconscious belief tripping you up. It’s this: As long as you tack on “in Jesus’ name” to your prayer, God has to give you what you asked for.

To be fair, your assumption is probably based on this scripture:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 14:13-14

But, please, never take any scripture out of context.Jesus wasn’t giving you a magic incantation guaranteed to make all your wishes will come true. He was tutoring His disciples. If you read the preceding verses, you’ll see He was talking about those who do His work.

5. You disregard His will.

Ask yourself if what you’re praying is in keeping with God’s will. Because you can’t reasonably ask God to give you something which flies in the face of His word and expect Him to say yes.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

1 John 5:14-15

Get Your Free Printable Prayer Power-Up

When you’re caught up in doubt, wondering if God hears your prayers, don’t leave your faith to chance or to the whims of your fickle feelings.

Instead, use this guide to help you pray for faith and trust in God when you feel doubt or uncertainty. You’ll get 5 simple tweaks to power up your prayers plus Bible verses to inspire you as you pray.

1. Get the free guide. You’ll get the printable guide and join my weekly newsletter. Just click here to get it and subscribe.
2. Print. Any type of paper will do.
3. Keep your guide where you can easily grab it when you need it, like with your prayer journal.

Here’s a sneak peek of your free printable prayer guide:

God Hears You When You Pray

By the time I started wondering if God hears our prayers, my knees were worn out falling on them in desperate prayer and my hand was cramped from writing even more desperate prayers in my prayer journal.

But I was never so glad to be wrong!

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

1 John 3:21-22

After coming through my season of doubt, I learned one truth: God hears our prayers, always. I was the one who had blocked my ears to His answers. And with a series of sinful choices, I’d walked my way out of His will. Meanwhile, I still expected Him to bless my sinful choices because I’d decided they were the best road for me.

Thank God He said no!

As for you, you’ve now seen the truth for yourself direct from the Bible. God hears your prayers, every last one. And you can trust He’ll never leave you hanging on any of them, whether He says yes, no, or not yet.

Will you learn to listen for His answer?

Before you go, get your FREE printable download to help conquer your confusion—The Essential Guide to Finding Clarity.

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