When life’s going along smoothly…we tend to ignore God.  We smugly think it’s us that’s making it all happen.   So when disease, death or tragedy  hits – we’re thrown for a loop. ” How can this possibly be happening to me…what am I going to do…how can I fix this?”  It’s at that point of distress, we finally cry out to the Lord.  But how do we know God’s listening to us…how do we know we have His attention?  We can start by reading His Word.  The Bible is full of times when God miraculously answered His people’s cries for help.  And each time He answered, their faith was built up a little more.   The Psalmist showed this confidence when he wrote, “Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.  In the day of my trouble I will call to You, for You will answer me.” (Psalm 86:6-7)   It’s that assurance from past answered prayers that enable us to have confidence every time we cry out to God anew.