How Can God Hear Everyone Praying at the Same Time? - Martin Wiles

Series: Hey God…I Have a Question

The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 NLT

The end of the school year was nearing, and we were about to celebrate our annual yearbook signing. The entire middle and high school gathered in the gym for the festivities. Separated by grade, they sat on the floor in their respective circles awaiting the announcement of their grade level. When each grade was named, a rousing roar ascended. Then one by one they strolled to a table to receive their long awaited prize. For the next hour, students milled over the gym floor seeking signatures from friends and faculty. The hum of hundreds of voices played tricks on my ears. Rarely could I distinguish even a single voice. 

God claims he hears all who pray to him. At any given moment, that may be thousands…even millions of people. To explain God’s ability to hear everyone in the same time frame requires an understanding of time from God’s perspective. Human time is chronos…sequential. It ticks away as one moment follows another. I can hear someone in a particular moment but need another moment for the next person. If two people speak to me at the same time, only bits and pieces of what they say will sneak through. 

God’s time is kairos. A time lapse…an indeterminate amount of time in which all things happen. While I operate only in chronos time, God maneuvers in both. He enters time with me, but he also penetrates his time. When he does, he hears all who are praying to him in any given instant. 

Since chronos time is all I know, I don’t pretend to understand God’s time. No one can. But by faith, I believe he hears me when I pray even if millions more are praying simultaneously. In fact, I know he does because my prayers are answered. Answered prayer gives evidence that God hears his people when they pray…every last one of them.

Prayer: Thank You, loving Lord, for hearing and answering our prayers.

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