This morning as I was reading in John 9:31 (KJV) “Now we know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth His will, him He heareth,” I realized that some times I just don't feel it. I mean, I pour out my heart to the Lord, telling Him of my concerns, asking for help and understanding and I just don't feel like He is there. I think we all feel this at times, wanting God to validate our human feelings. Not having the faith at the moment that if we don't feel Him hearing us that He doesn't.
This is not news to Him! He wants our faith to grow, and has given us many things in His Word for guidance. He knew we would need it and so He provided it! In Ps. 40:8 David is speaking about how he delights to do the will of God. He then states that God's law is in his heart. David purposely meditated often on the laws and precepts of God, and held them close in his heart. That is how he knew what was the will of God.
God is very clear about what is not His will. David's son, Solomon, records in Proverbs 6:17-19 those things that are very definitely not the will of God, things he hates and are in fact an abomination to Him. The New Living Translation tells us that God detests haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who sows discord (in a literal family or the community). So, as John 7:31 states above, we know that God does not listen to people who purposely sin, but if a person worships God and does His will, He hears him.
This is a standard for us. We can be confident that God hears us when we know what is and is not God's will, and purposely refuse to do the things He hates, doing what pleases Him instead, thus becoming pleasing to Him! As a result, the Lord tells us through his disciple John in 1st John 3:21 and 22 (New Living Translation) “Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from Him whatever we ask because we obey Him and do the things that please Him.”
We can be sure He hears us when we clear the way through confession of our sins and ridding our self of anything that does not please Him, we can have faith that He will give us whatever we ask for if it is good for us.
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