God hears your prayer. He delights when we come to him and ask him to help us. He wants to give us the things we need, not the things we think we need. Sometimes the answers we get to prayers aren’t what we want or expect or they take longer than we think they should. But, none of that is the absence of answers.

God hears every prayer no matter what method of praying you use: speaking, singing, or thinking. Even our actions can be a prayer to God.

God is waiting to hear from us. Psalm 34:15 reminds us, the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.

He never sleeps and is always available to hear our prayer. We must humble ourselves and seek Him.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers of the people offered in this place. (II Chronicles 7:14-15)

In I Chronicles 5:20, we are told that God answered the prayers of the people because they trusted in Him.

Believing that God will answer our prayers, trusting in His ability to hear and answer is important.

The book of Psalms is full of David’s petitions to God and his thoughts on prayer.

In the sixth chapter he says, “the Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.”

Many places in the Bible site similar conditions for prayers to be heard: living well, trusting in God, being humble.

In other words, the prayers that are heard are those that come from a person who has a relationship with God, someone who believes that his or her prayers will be answered by a loving heavenly Father.

How do you develop a relationship with God? Just like you do with friends and coworkers.

By getting to know them, spending time with them, talking to them. So it is with God.

Spend time with Him and get to know Him and you won’t have to ask this question anymore. You’ll know without a doubt that He is there.

Muslims gather for congregational worship during Friday midday prayer time. Prayer is followed by a sermon (khutbah) from an imam or prayer leader. Friday prayer is required only for men, but women may attend.

Friday is called Yawm al-Jum’ah in Arabic, meaning the Day of Assembly. Muslims gather for congregational worship during the Friday midday prayer.

Jum’ah is not a “sabbath” on which no work is done; rather, Muslims take just enough time off from work or school to attend a service at a neighborhood masjid.

The Friday prayer is commanded by God in the Qur’an: “O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (The Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah, and leave off business (and traffic): That is best for you if ye but knew!” (Surah 62:9, King Fahd trans.)

The Friday prayer is exactly like the ritual prayers, or salat, performed during the rest of the week, except that on Friday the imam or prayer leader delivers a two-part sermon known as the khutbah, with a pause between the two parts of the sermon to allow for a time of personal prayer, or du’a.

Whoever the community considers the most learned person in matters of religion can serve as the imam, since there exists no official “clergy” in Islam.

The imam usually reads and explains Qur’anic verses relevant to community concerns and encourages the congregation to remember their obligations to God and to each other, offering guidance and advice on how to live as a true Muslim in daily life.

Reports from neighbouring Uganda  have it that the House of Bishops has upheld the suspension of former Archbishop Stanley Ntagali from all priestly duties over his marital indiscretions.

Former Archbishop Stanley Ntagali was caught pants down feasting on a married woman contrary to rules of the church.

According to a letter dated Wednesday, January 13, authored by the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Reverend Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu notes that his predecessor betrayed the Office of Archbishop, his ordination vows, and the moral commitments he championed.

He stated Ntagali would not be allowed to perform duties such as preaching, offering sacraments or represent the Church of Uganda in any way until further notice.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my predecessor, retired Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, has been involved in an extra-marital affair with a married woman, which he has acknowledged. This adultery is a grievous betrayal on many levels. Retired Archbishop Ntagali has betrayed his Lord and Saviour, his wife and their marriage vows, as well as the faith of many Ugandans and global Christians who looked to him to live the faith he proclaimed.”

Mugalu argued none of its members was “clean” but noted church leaders who went astray must be punished as they were expected to uphold high moral standards.

The Archbishop says that Church of Uganda continues to uphold marriage as a lifelong, exclusive union between one man and one woman and that adultery is as immoral as homosexuality and that they will not shy away from their commitment to this moral standard.

Kaziimba further warns that if there are any church structures that have enabled such behaviour to be covered up, they are committed to identifying them and repenting of systems that protect abusers and harm victims.

“No one is above God’s law. We call on all who have fallen short of this standard to go before the Lord in prayer and confess your sin, repent of your ways, and make restitution to those you have hurt,” Kaziimba advises.

Ntagali, 65, served as 8th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda and handed over the office to Kaziimba on March 1, 2020 after clocking the retirement age. While serving as Archbishop, Ntagali was also the Bishop of Kampala and earlier served as Bishop of Masindi-Kitara Diocese from 2004 to 2012.