“Get to know this kind Father.” – Melissa Helser

I love this quote! One of my focuses this summer is to dig in to the Word and discover another layer of the Father’s heart. To learn more about His character. To get to know Him better.

I’ve been reading this week about the life of Elijah in the Old Testament. It’s encouraging to see how God hears and responds to Elijah, how He cares for him and provides.

I keep coming back to this sentence, when Elijah was up against the prophets of Baal:

“But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.” (1 Kings 18:29)

For hours they called on the name of Baal. They shouted, they danced, and they relied on their customs – including cutting themselves until their blood flowed. They spent the day striving, actively waiting, frantically prophesying. They wearied themselves out for a lifeless god, one that couldn’t hear them, one with no voice to respond.

And then it’s Elijah’s turn. He goes to extreme measures to make sure the people know that the Lord is God (the meaning of Elijah’s name). He prayed, “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back to you.” (1 Kings 18:37)

Guess what happened next? God responded. He answered. He paid attention. He listened to Elijah’s prayer; He heard his heart and faith shine through. And the people declared that the Lord is God!

I can’t help but think of how good and faithful our Heavenly Father is. The One who responds to us, the One who answers us, the One who pays attention to us.

The Father who Hears.

Here’s just a sampling of verses that talk about God hearing us…

“The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant…” – Exodus 2:23-24

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” – Psalm 5:3

“The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.” – Psalm 6:9

“You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed…” – Psalm 10:17-18

“I call on You, O God, for You will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.” – Psalm 17:6

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.” – Psalm 18:6

“Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to Him in song.” – Psalm 28:6-7

“This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles.” – Psalm 34:6

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry.” – Psalm 34:15

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” – Psalm 34:17

“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.” – Psalm. 40:1

“But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.” – Psalm 55:16-17

“… but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.” – Psalm 66:19

“I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” – Psalm 116:1-2

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” – Micah 7:7

Not only does He hear us. (Though that in itself is amazing.) The Father hears us and He responds. In His way, in His timing, in His love.

Jesus made a way for us to have this beautiful relationship with God. Look to Him today. Call on His name.

He hears you.