God Listens
by Samuel Giam
2 October 2006
Sometimes when we pray, however fervently, some of our prayers go
unanswered. Sometimes, it feels that you’re talking to yourself, as
though God wasn’t on the other end of the line. I got that feeling
before. Being born in a non-Christian family, the only person who
could lead me to Christ was my aunt, to which I am eternally
grateful for raising me up in a Christian lifestyle. However, in my
family, there were a lot of troubles, like my dad, who had financial
problems and suffered from Parkinson’s disease, and my mom, who did
not believe in Christ and fervently opposed Christianity.
Despite these circumstances, my aunt and I would pray every night
for my parents, that they would come to Christ one day, especially
for my dad, as he was a good person and I did not want to see him
slipping into the other side. The prayers worked for a while, as the
Holy Spirit touched my dad a couple of times, but all these
encounters all slipped to nothingness. At one point of time, I was
angry with God. I was angry at God for giving me such parents, angry
at God for the financial problems we had, angry at God for not
listening to my prayers and ‘having me on’ by pulling my dad closer
and then letting him go. I felt so useless, upset that no one had
been listening all the while. I was wrong, God did listen.
A couple of months back, my aunt held a prayer session with some of
her church members. In prayer, the Holy Spirit spoke through one of
the church members, it said this. “I hear your cry for your brother,
and I promise, I will never let him go.” I was convinced this was
from the Holy Spirit, as nobody told her about my dad’s condition.
This became the driving force behind all our prayers, and in a
couple of months time, it paid off.
One evening, my dad was feeling quite unwell and called my aunt up,
asking her to pray for him, which was unusual as he did not usually
ask for prayers. After the prayer, he said that he ‘felt a warm
feeling’ running through him, and he felt much better. Slowly, God
drew him closer and he finally decided to accept God for good. The
situation at home, which was taking a downhill fall was now coming
back up. God gave my dad a proper job, and a car. His attitude
changed. In the past a person who could not control his emotions,
now was a person who did not react to insults. His financial burden
was lessened, as the original drugs my dad was taking for his
illness suddenly was withdrawn from stock, but instead a cheaper
alternative was given. Convinced that God actually listens, my dad
is now attending Sunday service at St Andrew’s Cathedral and very
much on fire for God.
I believe that it is only a matter of time that God will deliver my
dad from Parkinson’s disease, and bring my mom to Him. For those of
you who are brokenhearted, or feel that God doesn’t listen to you,
don’t be disheartened. Continue in your prayer, and in His own
wonderful way, God will honour it.
All praise and glory be to God. He listens.
Sam
