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Does Anyone Hear Prayers?The Watchtower—2012 | July 1
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Does Anyone Hear Prayers?
“I used to have doubts about God’s existence. Yet, sometimes I would pray anyway. I was unsure if anyone was listening, but I must admit that I did hope that someone was out there. I was unhappy and had no purpose in life. I was afraid to believe in God because I thought that only weak people believed in God.”—PATRICIA,a IRELAND.
CAN you relate to Patricia’s feelings? Do you pray even if you have doubts about whether God exists? If so, you are far from alone. Consider the following.
◼ A poll of 2,200 British people revealed that only 22 percent believe that there is a personal God who created the world and who hears prayers. Yet, of those polled, 55 percent pray at least occasionally.
◼ A survey of 10,000 people on four continents showed that of the respondents who describe themselves as atheists, almost 30 percent pray.
Why Do They Doubt?
An Englishman named Allan says: “I used to say that I didn’t believe in God because I thought that religion was invented to control people and to make money. Also, if there were a God, I reasoned, then there would not be so much injustice. Yet, sometimes I would sit quietly and talk to ‘something.’ I would also ask myself, ‘How did I get here?’”
Each person with such feelings has his own reasons for doubting whether prayers are answered. In many cases, the doubts may be fueled by unanswered questions, such as the following:
◼ Is there a Creator?
◼ Why is religion so often an influence for bad?
◼ Why does God allow suffering?
If you could know the answers to those questions, would you feel more confident about praying?
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Who Is the Hearer of Prayer?The Watchtower—2012 | July 1
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Who Is the Hearer of Prayer?
IF THERE is a Hearer of prayer, logically he must be the Creator. Who else but the One who designed the human brain could read your thoughts? Who else could respond to prayers and provide mankind with the help they need? But you may wonder, ‘Is it rational to believe in a Creator?’
Many people think that to believe in a Creator, you have to deny the evidence of modern science. But the assumption that belief in God is incompatible with science is simply not true. Consider the following.
◼ A recent study of 1,646 professors of science at 21 elite universities in the United States found that only a third chose the statement “I do not believe in God” to describe their view.
The fact is that a number of scientists believe in the existence of God.
Evidence of a Creator
Do we have to accept without proof that the Hearer of prayer exists? Not at all. The idea that faith means believing without evidence is a mistaken notion. The Bible defines faith as “the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.” (Hebrews 11:1) Another translation says that faith “makes us certain of realities we do not see.” (The New English Bible) For example, you cannot see radio waves, but your cell phone clearly demonstrates the reality of those invisible waves that transmit voices; so you accept that such waves exist. Similarly, although we cannot see the Hearer of prayer, we can review available evidence that can give us the conviction that he must exist.
Where can we find evidence that God exists? We need only look around us. The Bible reasons this way: “Of course, every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4) Do you agree with the logic of that statement? Perhaps when you contemplate the order of the universe, the origin of life, or the design of that most complex of all structures on earth, the human brain, you reason that something higher than humans must exist.a
But there is a limit to what nature can teach us about God. Observing evidence of God in creation is like hearing the footsteps of someone approaching behind a closed door. You know that someone is there, but who is it? To find out, you need to open the door. We need to do something similar in order to identify the Someone behind creation.
The Bible is a door to knowledge about God. When you open that door and consider some of its detailed prophecies and their fulfillment, you will find evidence that God exists.b But more than that, the record of God’s dealings with people shows the very personality of the Hearer of prayer.
What Is the Hearer of Prayer Like?
The Bible reveals the Hearer of prayer to be a person—one whom you can know. Surely only a person can listen with understanding. It is reassuring to read: “O Hearer of prayer, even to you people of all flesh will come.” (Psalm 65:2) He hears those who pray to him in faith. And he has a name. The Bible says: “Jehovah is far away from the wicked ones, but the prayer of the righteous ones he hears.”—Proverbs 15:29.
Jehovah has feelings. He is “the God of love” and is called “the happy God.” (2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Timothy 1:11) Concerning his reaction at a time when evil was especially rampant, the Bible says: “He felt hurt at his heart.” (Genesis 6:5, 6) The claim that God causes suffering in order to test people is untrue. The Bible says: “Far be it from the true God to act wickedly.” (Job 34:10) Nevertheless, you may wonder, ‘If God is the almighty Creator, why does he allow suffering to continue?’
Jehovah has granted mankind the ability to exercise free will, and that tells us something about what God is like. Do we not treasure our freedom to choose how we will live? But sadly, many people misuse their freedom and cause suffering for themselves and others. Now here is a question worth thinking long and hard about: How could God eliminate suffering without taking away man’s freedom? We will examine this question in the next article.
[Footnotes]
a For a more detailed discussion of the evidence of God’s existence, see the brochure The Origin of Life—Five Questions Worth Asking and the book Is There a Creator Who Cares About You? both published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
b The brochure A Book for All People and the book The Bible—God’s Word or Man’s? are published by Jehovah’s Witnesses to help you to consider evidence that the Bible is inspired of God.
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