Can He Hear Me Now

[gregholmes]

Can He Hear Me Now?
by Greg Holmes

It was late so I thought she would naturally fall fast asleep as her head touched the pillow. To my chagrin that wasn't the case. As I pulled the blankets up to her chin it was like a bolt of energy surged through her body. She sat up right and reminded me that we needed to say our prayers. I wasn't purposely neglecting our prayer time, I just didn't want to disturb her sleep.

I knelt down beside the bed, held out my hand in to which she placed her delicate fingers, and she began to pray. I listened to the same words that she has repeated every night since she's been old enough to speak.

My mind wandered, but it was refocused on the moment when I heard the rehearsed cue that the prayer was coming to an end, "we love you Jesus, Amen!"

She placed her hands on my cheeks, pulling my face to hers and asked, "Did Jesus hear that prayer?" I assured her that He did. So she repeated the closing line.

"We love You Jesus, Amen."

Peering into my eyes again to ensure I only spoke the truth to her, making sure my eyes didn't shift, she asked a second time, "Did He hear me that time?"

"Yes, Aliah, every time we pray Jesus hears us." I confidently declared.

Wanting to be sure...that He really did hear her, she said it again, "We love You Jesus." and queried me one more time whether or not I thought He actually did hear her.

It's hard for her little mind to comprehend that an invisible God actually does hear her prayer. I'm probably partly to blame. Sometimes she talks to me and I don't hear her, even if I'm in the same room with her. So how can she believe that a God she can't see actually does hear her prayer?

It's not only hard for her to comprehend, adults struggle with that very issue too. Why would the God of this universe care about my insignificant little prayer? How can He hear my soft voice amidst all of the noise in the atmosphere?

I don't know why and I can't comprehend how, but I stand on the truth of scripture, and encourage you to do the same. "If my people will humble themselves and pray…I will hear from heaven." (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).

© 2006 by Greg Holmes. www.gregholmes.ca All rights Reserved

[GentleJourneyAu]

Very good article. Also, you must be a very good parent to realize that "sometimes Alia talks and you don't hear her". I see so many parents who let their child repeat a question over and over and they don't say a word to them as if they are not there. The child learns what a father is from her father on earth and projects it to her idea of the Heavenly Father. Then if the earthly father was not a good model for fatherhood, the grown up child has difficulties changing that idea.

Elaine

[gregholmes]

Thanks Elaine...I wondered if anyone ever read the articles on hear, that's why I haven't posted others...glad you were touched by it.

[TanyaSue]

Greg - Thank you for the reminder. God does indeed hear our every prayer. Even when we feel surrounded by a divine silence, He is still there ... listening, waiting, answering and providing in the perfect ways only He can.

This may sound like an odd question, but ... How do you pronounce your daughter's name? (Being dyslexic I need audible phoenetics -- is that the right term? -- to read at a normal rate. Otherwise I can't get past certain words.) How do you SAY her name? ah-LIE-ah? a-LEE-ah? AIL-ee-ah? Thanks! :)

[gregholmes]

TanyaSue:

Thanks for the comment. My daughters name is mispronounced all the time...but it is a-LEE-ah

[TanyaSue]

That's was my first instinct. Having been called TAN-ya most of my life (instead of TAHN-ya), I'm sensitive to mispronounced names. ;) THANKS!

BTW - I'm nearly finished with your book.

[gregholmes]

TanyaSue:

To make it easier for people we actually call her Ali (al-ee) for short. She started school this year and that's what we gave the school as her name, plus it's easier for her to spell, although that doesn't matter, she's excelled in her word and letter recognition. (now I'm just being a proud Dad...)

[TanyaSue]

(now I'm just being a proud Dad...)

:) As you should be!

Now that I think about it, we are probably making things more difficult regarding our daughter's name: Isabel. I spelled it as simply as I could, but then we nicknamed her "Ellie". We're basically begging people to spell it: Isabelle or call her Isabella ... She's already got more nicknames than anyone else in her SS class: Ellie, Isa, Izzy, Bella, Belly, Belle ... And then there's my son who has more nicknames than anyone I've ever known! Zachary has been known as Zach, Zachy, Zach-Zach, Zaccaroni, Z-dog, Scooter, Bam-Bam, Zach-attack ... Once he starts school the list will only get longer. :p

[gregholmes]

I actually call Aliah "Babe" - I made the mistake the other day to call her little sister, Abbey, "Babe" too. She quickly reminded me that she is "Babe".

My Mom calls Aliah "Al" which I don't really like, but it's a grandmothers liberty I guess...I'm sure soon enough Aliah will be old enough, and have enough of a voice to let Gramma know if she likes it or not.