What other scriptures highlight God's willingness to hear our prayers? Solomon’s Model: 1 Kings 8:28 “Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before You today.” Solomon’s words open a window into the heart of God. From the very center of Israel’s worship, he assumes God delights to listen. The rest of Scripture keeps echoing that same assurance. Old-Testament Echoes: God’s Ear Is Always Open • Psalm 34:15 — “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.” • Psalm 65:2 — “O You who listen to prayer, to You all men come.” • Psalm 66:19 — “But God has surely heard; He has attended to the sound of my prayer.” • Psalm 145:18-19 — “The LORD is near to all who call on Him in truth… He hears their cry and saves them.” • Proverbs 15:29 — “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” • Isaiah 65:24 — “Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” • Jeremiah 29:12-13 — “You will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” • 2 Chronicles 7:14 — “If My people… humble themselves and pray… then I will hear from heaven.” New-Testament Confirmations: The Same Listening Father • Matthew 7:7-11 — “Ask… seek… knock… how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” • Luke 18:7 — “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night?” • John 14:13-14 — “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it.” • Hebrews 4:16 — “Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence.” • 1 Peter 3:12 — “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer.” • 1 John 5:14-15 — “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us… we know that we have what we have asked of Him.” • James 5:16 — “The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.” Recurring Themes You Can Rest In • God’s posture is proactive: He listens “before they call” (Isaiah 65:24). • Righteousness matters, yet He provides that righteousness Himself through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:12). • Humility and repentance keep lines clear (2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 66:18-19). • Persistence is welcomed, not scolded (Luke 18:1-8). • Praying “in His name” means aligning with His character and purposes (John 14:13-14). • Confidence, not hesitation, marks New-Covenant prayer (Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 5:14). Practical Takeaways: Stepping Into Confident Prayer • Review these verses aloud; let their collective witness settle any doubt that God is listening. • When you pray, picture Hebrews 4:16—walking right up to the throne because Christ has opened the way. • Keep short accounts with sin (Proverbs 15:29), but never let yesterday’s failure silence today’s plea. • Pray scripture back to God—Solomon’s line “regard the prayer of Your servant” still resonates. • Stay persistent; every knock is heard (Matthew 7:7) and every tear is noted (Psalm 56:8). The same God who attended to Solomon’s temple prayer attends to every sincere cry today. |