Does God Really Answer Prayer? Here's the Proof You Need

Whenever you hear someone say that God answered their prayers, do you ever wonder if it was just a coincidence? Or maybe you think, “why He doesn’t answer my prayers?”

While we can’t know why God does and doesn’t answer prayer, we can be confident that He answers prayer.

How? Because there are so many stories in the Bible when God answered someone’s prayer. The following stories from the Bible show us that God answers us when we pray and how to pray.

When God Answered Prayers in the Bible

Pray Big

In Joshua 10: 12-13, Joshua is fighting a difficult battle, and he asks God to make the sun stand still so they could have more daylight and defeat their enemies.

And God listened and granted Joshua his prayer.

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. Joshua 10:13

Joshua prayed a big prayer. He didn’t pray for strength; he asked for more daylight. He asked God for something that only He could do.

Pray God’s Word Back to Him

In Exodus 32: 13-14, Moses comes to God on behalf of the people he’s leading and asks God to remember His promises and not destroy them.

When Moses was on the mountain with God, his brother Aaron and the Israelites created a golden calf as their god.

When God saw this happening, he was ready to destroy them all and start again with Moses.

"I have seen these people," the Lord said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." Exodus 32: 9-10

Moses ran interference for the people by reminding God of his promises.

But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. "Lord," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'" Exodus 32: 11-13

God listened to Moses, and he agreed.

"The LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." Exodus 32:14

Pray When You’re Far Away From God

Maybe most encouraging was when God answered Samson’s prayer. After Samson gave in to Delilah and told of the secret of his power, God’s spirit left him.

However, that didn’t stop Samson from later praying for strength (“Sovereign Lord, remember me… Judges 16:28) and God granting his prayer.

This story tells us that even if we are far away from God, we can still pray to him, and He answers prayers.

Pray When You’re Defeated

I know how it feels to pray for the same situation over and over for years. You might feel like, “what’s the point?” But God’s word tells us He is faithful and good and answers our prayers. Let’s look at Hannah.

In 1 Samuel 1, we learn of Hannah, who was barren. To make matters worse, her husband’s other wife, who had children, tormented her because of it.

The pain is bad enough when you can’t have kids, but it was even more devastating in Biblical times. And Hannah also had to listen to Peninnah gloat and make fun of her for not having children.

Hannah was so depressed she couldn’t eat and wept during their yearly travels to the house of the Lord. Yet, she prayed.

"In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord." 1 Samuel 1: 10

The amazing part of this story is after Hannah prayed, the text says, “Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” 1 Samual 1: 18

Hannah feels better just by praying to God about her despair. At this point, she doesn’t know if her prayer will be answered.

In the following few verses, we find out that God answered Hannah’s prayer, and she became pregnant with Samuel and later five more children.

woman praying bible verses of acceptance

Yes, God Answers prayer

There are so many verses we can find in the Bible about prayer. I’ve chosen the scripture verses below that point to the question “Does Prayer Really Work?”

These verses show God is listening to your prayers, and He’s on the move in your life.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7: 7-8

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. Jeremiah 29:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. Psalm 55:17

$Does God Really Answer Prayer? Here\'s the Proof You Need$

Does God Really Answer Prayer? Here’s the Proof You Need