But you, Lord, are a compassionate
and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love
and faithfulness.
Psalm 86:15

This is the description of God: merciful, gracious, long-suffering, gracious and faithful.
And still there are brothers praying, filled with doubt, whether God hears their prayer … Of course He hears our prayer! Only doubt and small faith limits God in His action.
Whoever does not believe that God is gracious and merciful, how can he pray? He can try to persuade God or annoy God by constant repetition, or he can pray rituals and fine words, he can make a deal with God: If you do this, I promise you …
But this is not the kind of praying Jesus taught us! HE came to His Heavenly Father in childlike trust. HE did not need many words, because He knew: the Father hears Him. He knew that God loves Him above everything and does everything that the Son desires. And yet He only asked for what He knew was God’s will.
If my earthly Father were like this: Long-suffering, gracious, merciful and faithful, then I would have had a thousand wishes as a child. And if my father had been the king of the whole world, then I would have prayed immediately (like “The Little Lord” in the book) for all the people living in misery. My earthly father could not have refused me, because He loved me.
And we? Do we not have a Father in heaven who loves His children? Is He not gracious, merciful, long-suffering, patient and faithful? Why do we pray so little, and when we do pray, why with so little confidence?
HE likes to hear prayer. HE likes these conversations with us. He likes to make us happy. And especially He likes it when we look away from ourselves and pray for others.
In prayer we realize how wonderful He is. How much He is Father. How His being is full of grace. Oh, HE is so wonderful, and so wonderful is the encounter with Him in prayer! Ah, that we would seek God’s face more, then the world would be different today ….

Thank You Father, You love me, You hear my weak prayer! You know that I trust You and love You. How beautiful that You are so gracious and long-suffering, so faithful and reliable!