God Is Greater Than Your Feelings - The Truth About Prayer

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

EVEN IF WE AFFIRM ALL THE RIGHT THINGS ABOUT PRAYER, WE DISCOVER THAT WE STILL STRUGGLE WHEN WE PRAY. We still wonder if God is there. We cry out, and we often have experiences in prayer that we are not sure how to interpret. If only Scripture gave us guidance in these places. Maybe it does.

In 1 John 3:19-20, John shepherds our souls through exactly this sort of struggle. First we discover that throughout our lives, we find ourselves standing before God and that we need to “reassure our hearts” in his presence. This is a bit odd. Why do we need to reassure ourselves in God’s presence? Why am I talking to myself in God’s presence?! What John says next explains the problem: “for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”

Notice that John assumes that our hearts may condemn us in God’s presence. I’ve known this kind of condemnation. I’ve struggled with these experiences in prayer. In those moments, I automatically did two things without noticing: First, I assumed that my feelings were attached to God’s action. When I felt condemned, I thought God was condemning me. Second, instead of bringing this to God, trusting that only in Christ can I know hope in these places, I turned against myself. I assumed that I wasn’t praying well enough, or hard enough, or that my life hadn’t been good enough. I forgot that God knows I don’t know how to pray and that he prays on my behalf.

But notice where John’s encouragement resides. God is greater. God knows all. God is greater than your heart. John assumes that your heart does many things on its own, and those things do not tell you about God. When your heart condemns you, John reminds you that God is greater than your heart and points you to him. John helps you remember that God knows everything—even more of your sin than you do—and God calls you to himself because of what he has achieved for you. This is why prayer is always by faith. We have to hear the truth, but then we have to walk in it as well.

What feelings come up in prayer? What assumptions have you made about how God feels about the way you pray? What has Scripture told you? (Read 1 John 3:19-20 again).