Many people believe in God. Some believe He hears their prayers. Some believe He answers their prayers. Some people don't know what to believe. This is an age-old problem, which many people struggle with in various phases of life.

Through good times and bad we call out to God. How do we know if God hears our cries and prayers? Through the years I personally have seen God intervene in the lives of many people, and even in my own life, but not always in the way we expect or want Him to.

Several years ago there was a country song that became a big hit, "Thank God for Unanswered Prayers." The song is about an individual who reflects on his life and remembers some of the prayers he prayed to God. He was grateful that God had chosen not to answer certain prayers the way he had prayed them.

There was a little girl about 9 years old. Her name was Elizabeth and she was the youngest of four. Elizabeth's father was in construction in Iowa and didn't make a good income for the family. They just barely scraped by week to week. All of her clothes were hand-me-downs. The family slept in one big room in the upstairs of their modest home. Elizabeth remembered the day the household finally had an indoor bathroom built in their house. Someone gave them a big square black box TV and finally they installed a telephone.

Children on Bicycles

Elizabeth wanted a bicycle very much. She knew better than to ask her parents. They just didn't have the money. All the kids in town had bicycles. In fact her best friend was just given a new bicycle by her parents.

Elizabeth tried to earn the money to buy a bicycle. She wanted to baby-sit, but she was too young and besides everyone always called her older sister to do that. She also went to her neighbors to see if she could clean house or do errands to earn money, but to no avail.

The only resource Elizabeth had at her age was to ask God. Her mother set the example of studying the Bible and made sure Elizabeth said her prayers before going to bed every night. Elizabeth had never heard of answered prayer; no one talked much about that. But every night when she prayed she would look up to God and say, "Hello God, are you there? Would it be possible for me to have a bicycle?" Then she would continue her nightly prayers.

Elizabeth continued to pray for several weeks. No one knew she was asking God for a bicycle. They would laugh! You don't ask God for bicycles. God does big things, like miracles, so everyone can see! He splits the Red Sea. He burns a bush that doesn't burn. He changes water into blood. He holds the sun from setting. But... bicycles?

Elizabeth continued to pray. Her weeks turned into months. One day her father came home from work later than normal. He had stopped by a friend's house. It was almost dark when he pulled in, but Elizabeth ran out to meet him as usual. He began to explain that this friend gave him an old secondhand... Elizabeth peeked over the back of the truck. There in the bed of the truck lay a bicycle. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her father had no idea she had been praying for a bicycle, but there it was!

Does God answer the prayers of a small child? Hello God! Are you there? You sure are!