God does not hear me. How much do I hear Him?

 St. Nikolaj Velimirović

 

To the merchant S.T., whom "God does not hear."

You complain that God does not hear your prayers. In many difficulties, you prayed to God, and He never saved you from any! How so, I wonder, since behold, you survived the difficulties?

But allow me to ask you one question: do you hear God?

Both in the Old and the New Testament, the Most High promised to hear people on the condition that they hear Him. Do you hear God, since you ask Him to hear you? Do you fulfill the divine laws and keep His ordinances?

If you do not do this, then your demand is strange—that God should hear you and obey. God descended to earth and washed the feet of those who love Him. It is a great joy for our Creator to hear His obedient children.

The Creator obeyed Moses, Abraham, and Jacob in whatever they entreated Him. And through natural and supernatural actions, He extended His mercy to those who fulfilled His law.

If He did not want to obey my prayers and yours, this happened either because we did not want to obey His commandments from the Covenant or because our prayers were unorthodox.

Through Isaiah, the Lord said to the disobedient people: "When you multiply your supplication, I will not listen to you" (Isa. 1:15). And a little further on: "But if you are willing and listen to Me, you shall eat the good things of the land" (Isa. 1:19). God hears us when we hear Him and does not hear when we do not hear.

Moreover, He does not hear even when we ask for something harmful and foolish. The apostles James and John once entreated the Lord to let fire fall from heaven upon the village that did not want to receive them for the night.

But He, "turning, rebuked them" (Luke 9:55). Not only did He not fulfill their request, but He reprimanded them. Remember also whether your prayers were worthy of man and worthy of God.

One more thing. Why do you pray to God only in difficulty? By doing this, you humble yourself while insulting your God.

Our Creator asks us to constantly feel His presence and to communicate with Him unceasingly through prayer: "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17).

By praying to God only when sorrow finds you, you make yourself a mere beggar and shame God, as you call upon Him like a firefighter only when your house is burning.

Christ gave us the right to call upon His Father as our own Father. What is sweeter than this? And what is sweeter for children than the presence of their parents?

Let us therefore also strive unceasingly to stand in the presence of our heavenly Father, with our heart, our thoughts, and our prayers.

Our prayer in times of prosperity and joy is like a capital of prayer, which serves us in days of hardship and suffering more than a momentary prayer when those days arrive.

Peace from the Lord!

Source: Ἔπαλξις Ὀρθοδοξίας [Bastion of Orthodoxy], Issue 12, December 2024, p. 31.

Online: https://imlp.gr/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/EO-12.pdf