The palm branch was an ancient symbol of victory or triumph. It was normal for people to herald the arrival of a king by laying things across the dirt road to keep the king's procession from having to walk through the dust. In this case (Mark 11) the people used their cloaks and branches they had cut from the field.
How do we know when God is listening?
We see Him at work. One thing I would encourage a person who is struggling with whether or not God hears them is to have the courage to pray specific prayers. Many of our prayers tend to be limited to requests like, "Lord, bless this food; please guide and protect us throughout our day." Those aren't bad prayers, but they don't exactly instill confidence that God hears us. How do we know if He has "blessed our food," or "guided us throughout our day?"
If you are struggling with whether or not God is listening, begin to pray more specific prayers and watch God work. God loves to give His children what they ask for, provided the thing that they want would actually benefit them in the long run and are not outside His moral will (Matthew 6:9-11).
This is why we encourage you from time to time to be praying for 5 friends who are far from God. Pray for them by name, that God will give you opportunities to share the Gospel with them. God almost always answers those specific prayers, which is a constant reminder that He is listening. .
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