The God who answers – Part 1

One privilege we enjoy, as Christians, is that we relate with a God who hears and answers us when we call on him. Unlike others, our God, the Almighty answers. The ability of our Heavenly Father to respond to our pleas and petitions places Him well above other gods.

Moses said to Israel: “For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him?” (Deut.4.7 NLT). Despite Israel’s privilege in Yahweh, it is nothing compared to our privilege in this dispensation because Jesus Christ has gone into the presence of God on our behalf. Today, because of Jesus Christ, we have unimpeded access to the Father when compared to Israel of old.

When Elijah confronted the Prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, one frustration that the prophets faced was that Baal could not speak to them. For hours the prophets laboured and called upon Baal, but there was no response. “And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention,” (1Kgs.18.29 NKJV). But, once Elijah called on his God, he answered by fire. Moses captures the difference between the Almighty God and Baal in these words: “For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges” (Deut.32.31 NKJV).

God repeatedly encourages us to call upon Him, no matter what the situation may be. In Psalm 50:15 says: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me,” (NKJV). Again in Jeremiah 33:3, He says: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know,” (Jer.33.3 NKJV).

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart,” (Jer.29.12,13 NKJV).

Then in Matthew 7:7, we read: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

These are a few confidence-building texts of God’s assurances to answer us when calling on him. The lesson of Elijah’s encounter with the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18, is that, unlike Baal, God hears and answers us in a dramatic way. But he answers when we fulfill the right conditions. When Baal could not answer his prophets, Elijah confidently repaired the broken altars with stones and immediately began to call upon the Lord. God answered him by fire once he called upon Him. Mending our broken relationships with God paves way for God to answer us speedily.

Elijah prayed: “Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said: “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” (1 Kings.18.37-39 NKJV).

Have you heard from God lately? If not why? Draw near to Him in repentance. God is so near to us that whenever we call upon him he answers. God answers, but not always by fire.
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