God Who Listens: A 7-Day Devotional With Chris TomlinSample

The God Who Cares

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” 

Psalm 34:17 (ESV)

It feels like sometimes prayer is a last resort. We often try every other remedy before we try God. I think that’s because a lot of times we think we can fix our problems on our own.

But prayer doesn’t have to be our last resort. Prayer can be the first step we take when we hit a bump in the road. 

If we know that God hears us when we pray, it’s important to remember that we can be honest with God. He’s strong enough to handle our complaints and our disappointment. He’s full of empathy for His children.

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

God wants us to bring Him all of our burdens. The way we do that is through prayer. 

Your prayers don’t have to be formal. There’s no wrong way to pray. Prayer is simply a conversation with God. He can handle our worry, our pain, and our frustration. You can talk to Him like a friend.

Psalm 34:18 (NIV) reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

God wants to free us from the weight of our worry. He can’t heal what we don’t reveal. That’s why He encourages us to open up to Him and honestly tell Him how we’re feeling.

You can be transparent with God through prayer. He’s not waiting to condemn you. He’s waiting to help you.

God loves you, and He desires to be invited into every area of your life. He’s in the details, and He cares for you. Not only does He listen when you pray, He cares about what you have to say.

Isaiah 43:1 (NLT) says, “…I have called you by name; you are mine.”

The very God who made you knows your name. He knows what you’re walking through. He identifies with how you’re feeling. And He’s as close as your next prayer.

The God who made the winters and the summers

The One who put the stars all in their place

The only One who stands above all others

He knows me by name.