Does God hear our prayers?

I am reporting this passage from the Tenth Canto of the Bhagavata Purana, The Birth of Krishna, and I am sharing my reflections on it:

"Although the devas addressed the Supreme Lord with the appropriate prayer, the Purusha-sukta, they seemingly received no response from Him. Brahma then undertook a meditation in accordance with tradition, and a response, in the form of a transmission-message, was received from God Vishnu."

Approximately 5,000 years ago, Vyasa explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam —during the tragic account of the marriage of Vasudeva and Devaki, the mother who would give birth to Krishna— that the devas, those responsible for the administration of the universe in accordance with Vishnu’s laws, had tried to alert Him to the grave difficulties deliberately caused by demonic kings. They were turning the Earth into a dreadful place, entirely opposed to His divine laws and purposes. A prime example is the powerful Kamsa, Devaki’s brother, whose cruelty was unparalleled. Supported by equally contemptuous and ruthless allies, Kamsa embodied the defiance of divine principles.

Strangely, Vishnu did not hear them and remained silent to their prayers. Consequently, they turned to their superior, Brahma, who succeeded in drawing Vishnu’s attention and obtained a favorable response to their concerns.

This situation prompts me to raise the following question: why did Vishnu not respond to the prayers of his devoted representatives? If God does not always intervene personally or indirectly for his servants in charge of the universe, what about us, mere sinners? Does he hear our prayers, or must we follow a hierarchical system, essentially going through the spiritual master? This would imply that if we do not have a bona fide guru, there will be no “message-transmission ”… ■