God Is Always Listening

I love how God moves when we trust Him with the smallest details of our lives. And I love how sometimes when we pray simple prayers, God comes along and does something even bigger than we were expecting or even asking for. God positions, repositions, and meticulously places every piece of the puzzle until all the pieces fit exactly as they should. He never wastes opportunities to train, instruct and guide us until His will is accomplished.

The most amazing part is how He often answers our own prayers by answering someone else’s prayer in the process. This is something I have experienced a couple of times this week, and I love watching the way He works! 

As most of you know, I travel and speak for women’s conferences, retreats, church services, and revivals. I also lead the Embrace Sisterhood (women’s group) at my home church, which meets the first Thursday night of each month. Next month I’m speaking in Arkansas for a women’s retreat, and Sunday service. I didn’t realize the next Sisterhood meeting was the night before I leave for Arkansas, so when I looked at my calendar last week I started to panic.

I didn't want to overextend myself so I started praying and asking God what I should do? Should I ask someone to fill in? If so, who? Needless to say, God was already working on it before I asked. In fact He had been working on it for over a month. As my hubby tuned into the Super Bowl on TV Sunday night with his dad and brother, I tuned out the Super Bowl and went to my room to pray. I began to ask God once again who I could get to fill in?

As clear as a bell, God spoke to my heart, “Jacqueline!” Jacqueline is on my Sisterhood leadership team, but I haven’t known her very long at all. She has always seemed really quiet. However, I knew God had spoken, so without hesitation I sent her a message and asked if she would pray about speaking for our March meeting. She immediately replied, “We need to do lunch!” I sent her another message and said, “God has already put it on your heart hasn’t He?” She said, “It has kept me up at night!” 

God had already asked her to talk to me about speaking for a meeting. Then He also planted the thought into my head as well. I am thrilled to see what God is doing in Jacqueline’s life, and I have no doubt He is going to use her in wonderful ways! It is my desire to help others step into the calling God has placed on their lives, so this was especially thrilling to me.

I also do jail ministry every Thursday, and this was another area I had been praying for God to help me out with. I never want to just leave those ladies hanging when I have to go out of town to speak. They count on me to come and minister every week, and I don’t want to let them down. So, this was another matter I had taken to God. Sunday a week ago—Kelsey—another one of my ladies on the Sisterhood leadership team contacted me because God had put the jail ministry on her heart. She also said she hadn’t been able to get jail ministry off her mind. I took her in with me last week, and as the tears rolled down her face, I saw the love of Jesus and His compassion flowing from her eyes. This Thursday, she will be speaking to the ladies for the first time. 

I am so excited to see these ladies stepping out in obedience to God, and I believe they are equally excited that God is providing opportunities (obviously answers to their own prayers) to do so. God is faithful to answer our prayers, and when we listen for His voice we sometimes find that He is answering multiple prayers at the same time! Without any of us three ladies knowing what God was doing; He was working out every detail for each us behind the scenes. Nothing is too difficult for Him! When I think about multi-tasking I start feeling like I need a nap. But God loves multi-tasking. 

I’m continually amazed by how very little we can comprehend of the magnificent mind of God. Our human minds can never wrap around the complexity of who God is, and how He orchestrates even the smallest events of our lives. The world with billions of people, and billions of situations big or small, can never tire or exhaust the patience of our great God. He is on it—always. I’m so thankful that I don’t have to understand how, but I can trust that He will always have the answer when I pray, because He already knows my thoughts, and knows my need. You can be assured of that as well!
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Psalm 139:1-10 NIV
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

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