Before We Even Ask

Isaiah 65:24 (NLT) - “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers.”

Years ago, in my late teens and early twenties, I worked with preschoolers and took Early Childhood Education classes. One of the things I loved learning about was the different stages of communication and the way relationships develop between parents and their children.

When a baby is first born, the parents are constantly checking on them. Is the baby sleeping? Hungry? Wet? Too hot? Too cold? They don’t wait for that child to express a need. They’re already watching and making sure that little one is as happy and comfortable as possible.

Before long, parents even begin to recognize the different cries. They can often tell the difference between a hungry cry, a tired cry, and the “I just want to be held” cry.

The baby isn’t thinking much about communication.

The parents are. First-time parents, in particular, are impressively obsessive. They have a remarkable ability to wake up every 42 seconds just to make sure everything is still fine, then tiptoe out of their sleeping angel’s room with the focus and caution of someone defusing a ticking time bomb.

Then something changes.

As children move into toddlerhood, they begin to use words.

“Mama, I’m thirsty.” “ I don’t like that, I want this!” “I got an ouchie.” “Tommy stole my ball!”

Then comes potty training. That’s the stage where they proudly announce they need changing... while bringing you the diaper. But that’s just an aside.

The child is learning to express their needs, and the parent responds.

Now read Isaiah’s words again.

“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers.”

I can’t help wondering if there’s a picture of spiritual growth tucked into that verse.

When we’re newly born into God’s family, He often provides for needs we don’t even realize we have. He brings people alongside us to disciple us. Someone hands us a list of Bible verses on a specific subject. Someone explains a passage we don’t understand. Someone prays for us. Someone encourages us at just the right moment.

Our heavenly Father has this all figured out. After all, He’s done this parenting thing a few billion times before.

But as we mature in our faith, He encourages us to bring our needs to Him ourselves.

Maybe we need comfort after a challenging week . Perhaps we’re looking for guidance before making a big decision. On the days we worry about paying the bills, it’s provision as well as financial wisdom we need. Other days, we just need a quiet space and the comfort of Holy Spirit.

Prayer isn’t about informing God of a need in our lives that He somehow overlooked. Jesus tells us our Father already knows what we need before we ask Him. Yet He still invites us to ask.

Why?

Because prayer isn’t just about getting our needs met. It’s about maturing in our relationship with Him.

As we talk with Him, we begin to know His heart. We learn to trust Him. We discover that He isn’t a reluctant Father who needs convincing to help His children.

He’s already listening and already at work.

Sometimes we even discover that He began answering before we had fully found the words to pray.

Of course, that doesn’t mean every prayer is answered in the way we expect or according to our timetable. Every parent knows that loving a child sometimes means saying “yes,” sometimes “not yet,” and occasionally “I have something better in mind for you, and so it’s a ‘no.” Our heavenly Father is no less loving when His answers require us to trust Him a little longer.

If you’ve been feeling as though your needs aren’t being heard, don’t assume God has stopped listening.

Maybe today is simply an invitation to talk with your Father.

Not because He doesn’t already know what you need.

But because He loves hearing the voice of His children.

Until next time,

Kath