God hears from deep in the heart

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Way to often we want to judge people by what we see in the physical realm.
Believe it or not we will judge someone as good looking, or not so good looking depending on what we think of how they look.

We think we can see whether or not someone is successful or not so successful by how they walk, or how their hair looks or the clothes they have on.
We think we know how smart someone is by what school they went to or what grade they are in.

We look at people or the family they come from, and think we know all about them.
We judge parents by how clean their children are or some other criteria that we have decided is somehow significant and important.

Because we tend to judge others or at least form an opinion of them, which is the same thing, it is still judging, we have a tendency to think we can control what others think of us by controlling what they see, when they look at us.

See If I make sure you know that I attend some kind of church, then you must consider that I am some kind of a good person. If I make sure you know that I attend a bible study or some kind of prayer group then you have consider that I am at least some kind of a spiritual person.

If I lead one of these groups then you got to just know that I am something.

Outside of our Christian circles we do the same thing. We want people to know that we go to work, we are hard working. Mostly kind of honest. I mean we have never been arrested. How bad can we be?

Shoot I know people who cheat on their taxes and use drugs but think they are good people because they think no one knows.

I know most young people will tell me they have been good, if they are pretty sure I didn't see what it was they did.
We see on the outside. The outward appearance. We consider it, and judge it. Or at least form an opinion which is the same thing.

We have become so good at this that we think we can fool even Jesus Christ.

Now here is the part that The Lord would have us consider!

We know we can't fool Him by what we show Him on the outside because we suspect He can read our thoughts.

And so we try to control what God knows about us. Or what He thinks of how we are doing, by controlling, our thoughts, at least the ones we suspect He is paying attention to.

Ever catch yourself doing that?
I can run around all day long and think about this and think about that, make all kinds of decisions, work out all kinds of problems and just make a thousand decisions. And think that is all fine,

However when I sit down to pray.......Now all of a sudden I am conscious of the fact that God is paying attention to what My thoughts are. Now I think I need to watch them.

For example there is a verse in the bible that proclaims If I ask in Jesus name and don't doubt! I will receive what ever I ask for.
So when I pray I must word it very positive and not show any doubt

We have to watch what we say and watch what we think.
He can hear us........ and even read our thoughts ya know.
We must somehow pray in a manner that He will approve of. So that He will Hear, accept, and honor our prayer, with an answer.
For example....
If we pray about our finances and say God I trust you to take care of our finances, to see that our needs are met, and be our sufficiency, but you tremble or get defensive about tithing.
You spend every waking moment worrying about finances, what do you suppose that means?

No matter what words we use or how we say them......If there is any doubt or lack of faith in us, It will show in our hearts no matter what our words or thoughts are.......
And God is reading our hearts.

There is a verse in the bible that says......
Matt 15:8
"`These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.

Remember the verse I started with?
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
See when we tell someone we are sorry ....No matter what we say or how we say it God hears the heart.

See we are concerned about the outward appearance with people and somehow believe that if we can control our thoughts we can control what God believes about us.

But it is not our appearance or our words or even our thoughts that count with the Lord. No!
See it says.......
but the LORD looks at the heart."
Jesus quoted Isaiah who was quoting God saying.....but their hearts are far from me.

I have told the story before of the little old lady that had a mountain between her house and the village, so that she had to walk for miles around this mountain instead of just a little way if the mountain wasn't there.
The bible says if you had the faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain go and be cast into the sea and it would go .Soooo she prayed.
Be ye moved.......
Be ye moved.......
Be ye moved.......
It didn't move and she said heck. I knew it wouldn't work anyway. See, the problem wasn't in her words or thoughts or actions or with God. The problem was hidden in her heart.

Sometimes in counseling I will ask people if they have been praying about things and when they say yes they have, I am pretty sure that is not the answer that Jesus would report for them.

May be they went through the motions, Maybe even bowed their heads, said some words. Told God they wanted to be closer to Him, asked for only good stuff, you know, not to selfish, the problem is.........

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
Past the outward appearances. Even past our thoughts. He is a discerner of the human heart. We can't fake that. We usually aren't even aware of it. When we pray,
Lord draw me closer to you, Lord, Make me a better parent, Jesus, help me mind my parents, help me not fight with my brother or sister. Make my brother or sister nicer to me. Lord, Make my kids behave, Show me your will, help me do this or accomplish that........

Consider...... if you mean it on your terms only.......or if according to His will counts.
When we reason with God in prayer and say I am trying to be a good person give me what I ask. Is that according to His will or just yours?

When you made that promise......And you and God know what promise that was.........was it according to His desire or only yours?

If your heart is right with the Lord then you can be sure that He will answer your prayers no matter how hard they may seem to you.
The Good news is you don't have to convince Him.......He can read your heart.

Lord, if you would teach us not to just say what we think you want to hear, But to let you show us what is really in our hearts, that we could learn to truly be in your will and see our prayers come to pass.
For we ask this in Jesus name. Amen!