Where in the Bible does it say God hears prayers before they are spoken?

The concept that God hears our prayers even before they are spoken is a profound testament to His omniscience and intimate involvement in our lives. While the Bible does not provide an explicit verse stating verbatim that God hears prayers before they are spoken, it does contain numerous passages that convey this truth through the nature of God's knowledge and His relationship with His people.

One of the most compelling passages that speaks to this idea is found in the book of Isaiah. In Isaiah 65:24, God declares, "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear." This verse beautifully encapsulates God's preemptive response to our needs and desires, affirming that He is already aware of our prayers even before we articulate them. It illustrates God’s readiness to respond to His people, highlighting His omniscience and omnipresence.

Furthermore, Psalm 139 provides a profound meditation on God's intimate knowledge of us. David writes in verses 1-4:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

These verses emphasize that God knows our thoughts and words before we even express them. This intimate knowledge extends to our prayers, as God is fully aware of our innermost thoughts and desires. David’s psalm reassures us that nothing about us is hidden from God; He understands our needs and concerns even before we bring them to Him in prayer.

In the New Testament, Jesus also speaks to the awareness of God regarding our needs before we express them. In Matthew 6:8, Jesus instructs His disciples, "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." This verse is part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus teaches about the nature of prayer and the attitude with which we should approach God. It underscores the idea that prayer is not about informing God of our needs, but rather about entering into a relationship with Him, trusting that He is already aware and attentive to our circumstances.

The theological foundation for this understanding can also be found in the attributes of God as described throughout Scripture. God’s omniscience, His all-knowing nature, is a central theme in the Bible. Hebrews 4:13 states, "And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." This verse reinforces the idea that God’s knowledge is complete and all-encompassing.

Moreover, the relational aspect of God’s knowledge is emphasized in passages that describe His care and concern for His people. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." This verse, while often cited for its comforting promise, also speaks to God’s foreknowledge and His proactive involvement in our lives.

The writings of well-known Christian theologians and authors further illuminate this concept. A.W. Tozer, in his classic work "The Knowledge of the Holy," explores the omniscience of God, stating, "God knows instantly and effortlessly all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creaturehood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feelings, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven, and hell." Tozer’s reflection underscores the comprehensive scope of God’s knowledge, which naturally includes our prayers even before we speak them.

The practice of prayer, therefore, is not about informing God or persuading Him to act, but about aligning ourselves with His will and acknowledging our dependence on Him. It is an act of faith and trust, recognizing that God is already at work in our lives and that He knows our needs better than we do ourselves. When we pray, we enter into a deeper relationship with God, experiencing His presence and His care in a profound way.

In conclusion, while the Bible may not have a single verse that explicitly states that God hears prayers before they are spoken, the overarching narrative and numerous passages affirm this truth. God’s omniscience and His intimate knowledge of His creation assure us that He is always aware of our prayers and needs. As we approach Him in prayer, we can do so with the confidence that He already knows our hearts and is ready to respond with love and grace.