Growing Our Faith Through AnxietySample

God Listens

There’s a Psalm that King David wrote of him searching for God and God answering him. This is such an important factor when dealing with any form of stress or anxiety. David, many times, wrote these Psalms because he was anxious. We need to trust that God listens to us when we pray or cry out to Him. 

My wife and I were having a discussion on the couch one day. You could call it a tiff. It’s when one says, “What I meant,” and the other one says, “Well, what I thought,” enunciating each word, so that we get our points across. Finally, I said, "I feel like you never listen to me." Embarrassingly, I admit that is my code for "I'm losing the fight and need to pull an emotional string." I know it’s wrong but it’s simply me, gasping for one last breath. Well, my sweet wife then responds “Not listen to you? All I do is listen to you. For decades I’ve listened to you. I listen to you at home. I’ve traveled around the world listening to you. I listen to you multiple times a day on Sundays. People quote you to me.” So yeah, I still lost the discussion because she was right. This is God to us though. He is telling us that when we pray to Him, He is listening. He listens to our prayers all day every day. When we are anxious, worried, fearful, stressed, He is ready to listen and answer our prayers. 

Not only does He listen, but he already knows what we are going through. Have you ever heard someone say that their thoughts and prayers are with you? The truth is their thoughts don’t get much done. Sure, it’s a kind thing to say, but it is prayers that are seeking and speaking to God. 

The silence of God is true in feeling, but not in fact. You will go through a time, numerous times, when you will feel that God is silent. I have had those times and can guarantee you I will have them again. It is a part of the Christian experience, but you don’t give up because the fact is He does listen. 

Today through your anxiety, trust deeper in your faith realizing that God does listen. Are you stuffing your fears and anxiety, or are you truly giving them to the Lord?