The good news is that God doesn't care what people think. In fact, He cares more about what's going on inside us than what's going on with the outside of us. He cares about our goals, what we secretly desire and what our minds meditate on.
Fifteen hundred years after Noah's great flood, King Solomon was receiving some advice from his father, King David, who said this, ” … for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts” 1 Chronicles 28:9. In other words, “Be aware of what's in your head, son. God sees it.”
There is no situation in which anything or anyone in creation could act or think or speak apart from what he has permitted or ordained. Therefore, even our thoughts, which God knows them all (Psalm 137:4), pass through the filter of his will and are ordained and permitted.
The simple answer is yes, God hears your prayers. An ever-present, all-knowing God will hear every word from your mouth, thought in your mind and whisper of your heart. But there are some things that might affect whether He answers. Now, let us get one thing straight before we go on… God loves you.
The first one is Matthew 21:22 (ESV) Jesus says, “Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Did you see it? God cares about whatever you care about. Or, like we say at my church, “God cares about your 'Whatever!
God is attentive to our burdens, our stresses, and our emotions. His offer to hear our prayers is so personal that it is on the level of one of our children asking us for a snack.
Psalm 34:18 is a wonderful Bible verse that tells us about God's care for us when we are hurting. It says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted... (NIV).” God is close to you, not far away. In fact, He's with you even now, and He'll be with you throughout the holidays.
He hears our cries of unhappiness, pain, frustration, exhaustion, and fear. We can be honest with Him. His listening ear is always open to our prayers. His loving heart wants to embrace us as we cry on His shoulder.
Through the scriptures, we are taught that God will always hear our prayers and will answer them if we address Him with faith and real intent. In our hearts we will feel the confirmation that He does hear us, a feeling of peace and calm.
Remember that intrusive thoughts are not sins. These thoughts aren't necessarily a reflection of your true beliefs. It's natural to have fleeting thoughts and images that don't mesh with your beliefs and ideals. Most people can dismiss these thoughts.
Proverbs 4:23 GNT
Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.
Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Those unwanted and intrusive thoughts can sometimes create fear in us. We may dwell on them, and try to analyze them and figure out if they mean something.
God sees each of us through eyes of unconditional love, and He loves everyone—it doesn't matter what they do, where they work, how much money they have, how educated they are or what they look like. We need to do the same. We need to learn to see others as God sees them.
Therefore, when God looks at you today, He doesn't judge, esteem, and measure you according to your imperfections. He sees you in the Beloved—He sees you in Christ, and He sees the blood that has been shed for you by His dear Son. When God looks at you today, He sees Jesus.
All Sin is not the Same
In fact, the Book of Proverbs (6:16-19) identifies seven things that God hates although there is not any punishment proscribed for those. Scripture clearly indicates that God does view sin differently and that He proscribed a different punishment for sin depending upon its severity.
“And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain….” (Revelation 21:4). Ultimately, there will be a glorious day when you will feel the Hand of God gently caress your cheek, wiping away the tears you once cried.
An Invitation from the Living God
Let us be quick to cry out to Him in humility, sincerity, surrender, and faith. God “will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them” (Psalm 145:19).
The God of all comfort keeps watch over your weeping. He gathers up all your tears and puts them in his bottle (Psalm 56:8).
Is it possible that God would get angry with us because we pray too much about a particular problem? I worry about bothering Him too much with my problems. ANSWER: Absolutely not! The Bible tells us to persist in prayer and to pray about everything.
God can only comfort us because he has suffered; he can offer mercy because he has experienced weakness and need. He gives to us what he first experienced. Paul's point that suffering does not produce comfort is not addressed here. Being comforted is the thing that equips us to comfort.
When we are suffering, God is right beside us. Nothing can separate us from His love. He wants to show us His love through His church, and give us a purpose through His Word!