By Scott Andrew

God isn’t listening to me.”

 

I think we all can say, at some point in our lives, that it seems as if God has either forgotten us or simply stopped hearing our prayers.

 

We often approach God with an attitude of “Dear God, if you do this for me, I’ll do this for you.”  In other words, bartering with God or making deals with God.  It is as if we think God wants to make deals with us.  Or, as if God NEEDS to make a deal with us.  God is within us and God is all around us.  If we want to feel God, why don’t we instead just SURRENDER to God.  Give it all up!  Be GRATEFUL for what we do have.

 

Yet, sometimes the best answered prayers are those where the answer is “no.”   A child often asks for things in a store.  If a parent says “yes” to each of these things, what happens?  Some things asked for are not in the child’s best interest.  A parent often knows this.  Perhaps, with God, it is the same.

 

More and more, I am learning to approach God with a humble and grateful heart.  And then just listen.  I can count my blessings, so to speak, and then when I am quiet I feel most comforted.  It may seem as if God is not listening, yet, I know that when I surrender to God, God begins to work miracles in my life.  I can see small “signs” around me of conversations, people who enter my life, events that happen, that are small “coincidental” yet “purposeful” situations revealing God to me.

 

The problems with most conversations with God lie in the way we communicate with God. 

 

The solution, therefore, is to pray more purposefully, and with super-clear communication. 

 

The purposeful prayer is as follows: 

1. Ask precisely for what you desire. It is not enough to ask for the ability to be kind to others. Ask for the ability to earn $1 Million dollars so you can donate 15% to charity. Or ask for three people to meet who have needs you specifically can meet this day.

2. Ask once, ask clearly, and ask with expectation and all faith that it will be answered.

3. State when you need what you want.

4. Be grateful for what you have and grateful to talk with God.

 

So, if we ever reach that point where we feel, “God isn’t listening to me,” try the approach I just outlined. God will indeed begin answering your prayers in ways you never before imagined.