As Jesus prepared to raise Lazarus from the dead, He thanked God that He had been heard, even though He had not yet done anything (v. 41)! This is similar to what we see in many of the Psalms. The Psalmist will often thank God for answering the very prayer that he is praying before he finishes the Psalm. That is the confidence that the prayer will be heard, and so a prayer prayed is as good as a prayer answered.
In verse forty-two, Jesus goes on to say that He knows that God always hears Him. We certainly have no reason to doubt that God always hears His Son. Where is Jesus now? He is on the right hand of God making intercession for us (Romans 8:34). When we pray to God “in Jesus’ name” we are praying by His authority. In Heaven, that name carries some weight!
There are, of course, qualifications for that. We must ask in accordance with God’s will, knowing that His will is best, and we must ask with the proper attitude (James 4:3). Knowing that God always hears Jesus means that our prayers, through Him are always heard, too.