You have asked me a quite clear and straightforward question, José Ignacio, and a little daring: How do we know God has heard our prayers? And me answer to you is as clear and straightforward and daring: We never know it. I know you’ll be surprised and a little shocked too. But that is the plain truth. If we ask God for something and it does happen, we’ll never know whether it would have happened anyway even if we had not asked for it. On the other hand, if it does not happen, we certainly know God has not granted our petition. We are left with the paradox that we only know the result of our prayers when they are not heard, and never when they are heard. Unless you are telling me about a definite miracle that proves God has acted when we asked him to do so. But such definite miracles do not happen in our experience. I know you’ll tell me that when God does not grant us what we asked for, he does so because what we asked was not convenient for us, and in its place he will surely grant us something better. That is fine, but it does not answer your question. How do we know that God has answered our prayers? We don’t know it. We never know whether what happens to us is an answer to a prayer. This is plane to me. But it is never said so plainly. I found I am, for better or for worse, clear in my thinking and bold in my expression.

A good Muslim kept asking God for a particular grace day after day, and all in the village knew about it, but there was no answer to his prayer. Once, while he was at his repeated prayer after many days, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him: “God has decided not to grant you what you were asking for.” He went back running to the village square, gathered all the people and told them he had news of great joy for them. When they all fell silent to hear the revelation, he informed them: “An Angel has come to me from God and has told me he has decided not to grant me what I was asking for.” – “And how is it you look so happy about it?” – “Acknowledgement of receipt of course! Acknowledgement of receipt!”