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"And was heard because of His godly fear."

Text: Hebrews 5:7e

DOES GOD EVALUATE OUR PRAYERS?

Does God evaluate our prayers? The answer is an obvious “Yes!” Is He obliged to grant every prayer-petition? The straight-forward answer is “No!”

1. God reserves the sovereign right not to hear prayers (Cf. Isaiah 1:15)

2. God may also exercise much grace in hearing and answering prayers (Cf. Psalm 6:8-9)

WHAT DOES GOD LOOK FOR IN PRAYER?

Once again, we look at the example of how Jesus prayed. The following text illumines another vital truth.

“Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up
prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears
to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard
because of His godly fear.”
Hebrews 5:7

1. And was heard

a) Jesus never took for granted the privilege of prayer.

b) He prayed as He ought:-

i) Conscious that He was in the “flesh” (Man).

ii) Conscious that there were principles involving how prayers may be offered.

iii) Conscious that He must pray with His whole being and that meant strong crying and tears (as the case may be).

iv) Conscious that He was praying to an Almighty God even His Father.

c) The prayers of Jesus were heard!

2. Because of His godly fear (apo tes eulabeias)

a) God had examined the prayers of Jesus.

b) He had adjudged them worthy of hearing and answering.

c) The key reason lay in one vital truth.

Jesus possessed genuine “godly fear”! God looks at the person and not just the prayer.