The Two Listeners

As Christians, we know that God hears our every thought, every word, every wish that flows through our brains. We know that He always answers our prayers, sometimes with a “Yes” and sometimes with a “No” and sometimes He answers us when He gets around to it, just to teach us a little patience. God, however, isn’t the only listener, the only one who hangs on our every word, just waiting for the opportunity to respond. There is that other one out there, the very antithesis of good. Whether you call him the Enemy, Satan, the Devil or any of the other names he has collected down through time, he is still there, always there, listening to your every word and prayer, watching every action, using his knowledge of human nature to plan his next temptation of YOU!

As I said above, God always listens and always answers, even in the little, simple things. I, personally, don’t believe in boring God with long, rambling, exhaustive prayers. I used to do a lot of long distance driving as part of my job as a traveling salesman. From where I lived to the farthest edge of my territory was about 150 miles. Each day as I got on the road, I prayed the same prayer: “Father, no cops, no tickets, no accidents, no car problems, no problems of any kind, and no critters in the road, Amen.” I had that job for over two years, and none of those things ever happened.
Sometimes we aren’t praying to Him or asking for something, we are just living life and handling the good and the bad. Perhaps we are having a tight month financially and suddenly we come into just enough money from someone or something to tie us over. Maybe we are having a tough moment in our personal or spiritual life and all of a sudden a friend calls, one we haven’t talked to for a long time, and the discussion works around to whatever is bothering us and helps us to resolve it. He is looking out for us and will use whatever or whomever we need to take care of us.

God also protects us from getting those things which could be harmful to us, things or situations which we want or request. Satan is right there at all times tempting us to go after things that will lead us to his kingdom instead of God’s. There was a country song a while back that told us to, “Thank God for unanswered prayers.” Words to heed, words to remember when you wonder why God hasn’t given you the answer you think you want. Remember, though, that one gift God gave us which allows us to ignore His wishes and do whatever we want: free will. We have the right to choose the wrong choice.

Have you read the Book of Job? Then you know that God allows the Devil to temp us, to do bad things to us so that we will lose faith in God. The Devil is so bold that he even tempted Jesus, not once but three times! Just think how easy it would have been for the human side of Jesus to have looked at all of the kingdoms of the world, looked into His own future and the agony of the cross, and just said, “Okay, you’ve got a deal.” The Devil listens just as closely and intensely as God does. Do you pray for something bad and then are surprised when you get it? Now what are you going to do? There it is, that bad thing you wanted, all you have to do is accept the deal that goes with it. You have to reject God and accept what the Devil offers you. Maybe you are married and in anger you tell your spouse that if he or she doesn’t like the way you do things, then they should just go find someone better. Why are you surprised when it happens? Did you not ask for it? Yes, it is your spouse’s fault for cheating or leaving. However, you asked for the temptation to come around and the Devil was only too willing to help out. It is an old cliché that tells us to be careful what we pray for, because we just might get it.

So, always remember there are two Listeners. God is always there waiting for you to talk to Him, pray to Him, ask so that He can give, seek so that He can help you to find, knock so that He can unlock the door. The Devil is also always there, just waiting for you to allow him to nail your soul up on his trophy wall, mounted, stuffed, with your own set of horns. You and you alone have the choice as to which of them listens and grants your requests. Go out, pray and choose.