How to make God reply?

-By Dr.Sumeet Manakan J

Psalm 3:1–3

“Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”

All of us face hostility at some point or another. No one is spared from enemies. We all deal with different adversaries in different seasons of life. What truly matters is the response and the approach we take in facing hostility.

Human nature often leads us to defend ourselves. We tend to argue with our opponents, or more commonly, try to justify and validate our actions. Sometimes this works, but often it doesn’t—especially when opponents are not positioned or willing to listen. Whatever the case may be, the best approach to hostility is to seek God’s help.

I have personally gone through several situations of verbal abuse. My consistent response has been to remain silent and pray, asking God to give the answer on my behalf. And my experience has always been this—God does.

David writes in Psalm 11:

“In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul,
‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’?
For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.”
(Psalm 11:1–2)

Here David describes a situation where he was urged by rude, controlling, and dominating people to run away. He was chased ruthlessly. The wicked sought to destroy him by misusing their authority and striking him. David emphasizes that he was upright—his intentions were good—yet he was treated mercilessly.

However, in his poetic writing, he also reveals how God responds to such injustice by dealing with the wicked:

“The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The Lord tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.”
(Psalm 11:4–6)

Lessons We Must Learn

• Renew your mind. You cannot talk the whole world into understanding you. Stop arguing. Stop seeking approval. Stop trying to justify yourself. Realize this truth: when people don’t want to accept you, they won’t anyway. Remember the principle— “Where you stop defending, God begins!”

• Stay silent when dealing with hostility. The best answer to fools is often silence.

• Turn to God in prayer. Fight righteous battles, and let God deal with enemies in His justice.

• Go with humility. Approach God not with pride, revenge, or hatred, but with surrender and humility. Your intention should be to seek justice, not retaliation, acknowledging that God may also be teaching you something in the process.

• Pray with Scripture. Anchor your prayers in the Word, and persevere until you receive victory.

May God always be the One you depend on. Amen!