By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

Hello, friends! This month I’m launching a series called 5 Ways God Speaks to Us. Every Wednesday in May I will release a new blog post focused on one of the ways we hear from God. Join me as we dive into this exciting topic!

God works in mysterious ways, and that includes how our prayers are answered. Sometimes the answer is no, sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes the answer is wait. Regardless of what the answer is, the answer itself is another way God speaks to us!

Prayer is an essential component of your relationship with God. It’s how we talk to the Lord. Guess what? God responds! Prayer is not a one-way street. It’s relational, opening ourselves up to Jesus and agreeing to accept what He has to say about our requests, desires, and questions.

Answered prayers are examples of how God is working in our lives. We may not necessarily hear God’s voice in these instances, but we can see God’s fingerprints all over them. How God moves in the world is God communicating with us.

Take it to the Lord in Prayer

When I was buying my new car, there weren’t a lot of options on the lot. The make and model I wanted wasn’t available in silver, but the dealership did have it in red. I had a choice to make. I could buy the red car immediately, or I could wait for a silver one to become available, with no way of knowing how long that wait might be.

On my way to church one evening, as I was agonizing over this decision, I prayed about it. I asked God what I should do. As soon as I said “Amen,” a different model by the same car company pulled up to the stoplight beside me. That car was silver, and in that moment, I knew God was telling me to wait for the color I wanted.

Less than a week later, the dealership called and said the car I wanted in the color I wanted was available and on the lot. I bought it that night.

Jesus tells us to pray about everything and He assures us we will receive an answer: “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:22 KJV). How God answers may vary, or require a bit of interpretation, but God always responds!

Pray Without Ceasing

I could provide so many examples of answered prayers. I don’t say this to brag about being a prayer warrior or to brag about the ways God has blessed me. I say this because I know that what’s written in Scripture is true: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16 KJV).

Fervent prayer leads to fervent responses. Hannah prayed for a child for years. God heard her, and she bore Samuel. It may not have occurred in Hannah’s preferred timeline. I’m sure she wished to be a mother far sooner. But God gave her not just Samuel, but other children, too. Her prayer was answered in abundance!

The more you talk to God, the more you will hear God’s replies. God wants to be in relationship with us, so God is always talking to us. We just don’t always hear it. But when we pray God hears us and responds. We simply must open ourselves up to the answers.

Sweet Hour of Prayer

Think back on some of your prayers. How has God answered them? Hindsight is often the best clarity. You may not notice a prayer has been answered until you sit down and think about it! Keep an eye out for God’s responses to your prayers. You may be surprised by the answers.