This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis (ts@godspeak.org)

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                       I Hear Your Prayers


Child of Mine, I hear your prayers and I answer them.  Some of you
have felt like the heavens are brass to you, that I am not listening 
to you, that I am not hearing you and that I do not care about your 
needs or about your situation.  Some of you have felt very far from 
Me, as though I were angry at you when you are not aware of any reason
for this.  You have searched your heart for unconfessed sin or for 
bitterness or unforgiveness or rebellion, and you have not found any.  
And you have wondered why I am so far away from you.

Child of Mine, the truth is that I am not far away from you. I have
promised that I will never leave you and I will never forsake you,
and I won't.  I am right here beside you, even when you can't feel
My presence.  I am watching every step you take, and I have set My 
protection before and behind you.  I hear every prayer you pray and 
I have a great concern and a great love for you.

I know it doesn't feel that way to you right now.  But what are you 
going to trust?  Are you going to trust your feelings and your 
perceptions, which are heavily influenced by the lies of the enemy?  
Or are you going to trust what I have already said to you in My word?
Will you allow My truth to work its good work in you, to make you
strong and complete in Me? Will you allow me to strengthen and 
increase your faith?

Child, remember that things are not always what they seem.  I am a
God of all truth, but at times you may not understand what I am doing.
The deceiver of your souls is a liar and he desires greatly to deceive
you, to cause you to believe that I do not care for you, that I do not
hear your prayers.  His desire is to dishearten you, to destroy your
faith and to destroy your hope, so that you stop looking to Me and
praying to Me and stop asking Me.  But I say to you, child of Mine, I 
do hear your prayers.  Ask of Me, and you shall receive from My hand.
Seek Me and keep on seeking Me and surely you will find Me.  For
I am faithful and I will be found of you.

Child of Mine, I am with you and I will never leave you.  I will not
abandon you as orphans in a storm. I will not leave you comfortless.
I will not turn My back on you.  Rest assured that My Spirit lives
inside of you and that I do hear your prayers.  Know that I am a 
loving Father Who desires to give good gifts to My children.  But
you do not always understand what gift I am giving you at the moment.
At times I am giving you the gift of increased faith or of increased
endurance and stamina.  So it may appear to you that I am not answering
your prayers, that I am not coming through for you. But that is only
a mirage, it is not reality.  My reality is that I am a loving Father,
one who takes care of His children, and I will meet your needs. Trust
Me to take care of you, and I will.

At times it may feel that I am very distant from you.  It may seem that
no matter how much you cry out to Me and no matter how desperately
you seek Me, you simply cannot find Me. Child, that is also an illusion.
Do not trust the illusion, keep your heart and mind fixed on My
reality.  Your feelings do not always accurately express truth, for
they are flawed by the fallen human nature, and they will not be 
perfected until you are fully transformed into the likeness of My Son.  
Do not trust your feelings, for your feelings will lie to you.  Trust 
the truth that I have already spoken in My written word.  Know that I 
will never leave you nor forsake you. Know that I am not far from you. 
Know that I will never reject you.  

As you look to My truth and choose to believe it, the power of the lies 
of your emotions will diminish.  And you will begin to once again sense 
My nearness and feel My love surrounding you.  My truth will break the 
power of the deception and you will see just how close and near I am to 
you.  And you will feel just how much I love you and care for you. And 
you will experience My faithfulness and know that I am a God who hears 
and answers your prayers.