Sin is not a yes-or-no thing; like goodness, it has gradations. Sinful thoughts are bad because you can't do a bad thing without first thinking about it. We read in James 1:14-15, "Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
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.”
Finally, thinking a bad thought does not mean you are a bad person, nor does it not mean that you want to do bad things. Unfortunately, for some individuals their thoughts can be so strange, upsetting, or repugnant* that they find it hard not to view themselves as “bad” or “sick.”
The impure thought only becomes sin when it is willed. As taught by the ninth Commandment, an impure thought is grave matter. Desiring that impure thought, willingly and knowingly, offends against love of neighbor and love of God. The same principles would apply to dreams, which are generally involuntary, not willed.
Pray, exercise, take a walk or think about something completely opposite. Just find something else to do, something that will take your mind off the thought. Thinking too much about it can lead to anxiety and depression and this is not what God wants for His child.
Sinful thoughts are bad because you can't do a bad thing without first thinking about it. We read in James 1:14-15, "Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (NLT). Worry and anxiety are not heavenly things. When you're tempted to fall into the cycle of overthinking, direct your thoughts to God's ways instead. Meditate on this verse and these above scriptures to help you stop overthinking.
Pride (superbia), also known as hubris (from Ancient Greek ὕβρις) or futility. It is considered the original and worst of the seven deadly sins on almost every list, the most demonic. It is also thought to be the source of the other capital sins. Pride is the opposite of humility.
One eternal or unforgivable sin (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit), also known as the sin unto death, is specified in several passages of the Synoptic Gospels, including Mark 3:28–29, Matthew 12:31–32, and Luke 12:10, as well as other New Testament passages including Hebrews 6:4–6, Hebrews 10:26–31, and 1 John 5:16.
In Mark 3:29 Jesus says that “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” Matthew's account adds that even blasphemy against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31–32).
They're usually harmless. But if you obsess about them so much that it interrupts your day-to-day life, this can be a sign of an underlying mental health problem. Intrusive thoughts can be a symptom of anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The two most common diagnoses associated with intrusive thoughts are anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). They can also be a symptom of depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder, or Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
This has been linked to anxiety—suggesting that frequent catastrophizing may be a factor in developing certain mental health problems. Catastrophizing comes from the belief that by imagining what might go wrong, we're better able to protect ourselves from harm—both physical and mental.
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.
The demonstrable motivation behind an action might lead to a heavier penalty, however, to clarify, nobody has ever been criminally charged for their thoughts alone. In criminal law the idea that you have to do something before you have committed a crime is called The Act Requirement.
Jesus Christ has the power to forgive your sins. The process of repenting is not complicated, but it can sometimes be painful and difficult. The Lord has promised, “He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (D&C 58:42).
You do not need to confess to a pastor, priest, or spiritual leader to be forgiven. You do not need another human mediator, since (by faith) you already have Jesus Christ: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…” (1 Timothy 2:5).
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
In the Book of Matthew (12: 31-32), we read, "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
Lust, envy, anger, greed, gluttony and sloth are all bad, the sages say, but pride is the deadliest of all, the root of all evil, and the beginning of sin.
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.
These are the infamous seven: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth.
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 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.
He also speaks to us through the glory of His creation. Additionally, He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit and through dreams, visions and our thoughts. Further, God will use events and circumstances to speak with us. More often than not, God uses the people He has placed in our lives to speak to us.