Does God Hear Our Prayers?

Prayer is our greatest source of power—a direct conduit to our almighty God. But when it seems that our prayers have gone unanswered, it can be tempting to doubt the power of our prayers.

On this episode, Yael Eckstein looks at what the Bible says about the most effective way to pray. As Yael explains, our prayers can become more powerful when we pray for other, with others, and when we keep on praying.

These insights are simple, yet they’re profound. And as Yael shares from her own life—they work! With so much to pray for these days, it’s reassuring to know that we speak directly to the Master of the Universe… and that He hears every single one of our prayers! 

What do you know about prayer? Take our quiz and find out!

Episode Notes:

Today’s episode focuses on the very first verse in the twelfth chapter of Genesis, which says, “The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you’” (12:1).

This verse contains God’s first commandment to the patriarch Abraham: to leave behind everything familiar to him—his country, his people, and his father’s home—and follow God to an unknown destination. According to Jewish tradition, God tested Abraham ten times, but this directive was Abraham’s first test—and he passed it with flying colors. 

But why did God test Abraham in the first place? Didn’t God already know that Abraham was a man of faith? As we’ll learn in today’s episode, the purpose of Abraham’s tests—and all tests in life—is not to show God what we are capable of, but to show ourselves what we are capable of. Tests show us who we really are and they help us become the people God wants us to be.

Gain a whole new understanding of the reason why we life tests us, Yael explains how her friends—who have experienced wars and terror attacks—have incredible faith because of the difficulties they have lived through. She realizes an important truth about God’s tests—that being a person of great faith is something we transform into through the tests that we go through.