Your Needs Are Known
April 14, 2025
“For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” — Matthew 6:8 (NIV)
Do you ever go to God unsure of what to say? You want to pray, and talk to Him, but sometimes the words just don’t come out right—or at all! If you have ever pondered on whether or not God actually sees you or knows exactly what’s going on in your life, let me reassure you that He DOES!! He knows everything about you, including what you are actually thinking; you don’t even have to say anything in your mind or out loud. Truth: God knows what you need, even before you ask. He sees your heart; now that’s a special connection!
He knows your struggles, burdens, pain, and challenges. In His love, He meets your needs—right on time, in just the right way. Now be aware, it may not be in your time, or in the way that you expect, but the truth of the matter is that He meets them all. That’s right: All of your needs. Let me share a personal example with you.
As I mentioned in my “Can You Stand The Rain?” post, I suffered a period of debilitating depression, a time in my life when I thought I was a total waste of space. I didn’t want to talk, eat, get out of bed, bathe, or even breathe—I didn’t want to be alive. I would go to sleep praying for God to just let me die in my sleep so I didn’t have to wake up and face the reality of my horrible life. But I always woke up. During those brief moments I was actually awake, all I could think about was how much I wanted to be dead. This went on for weeks. One day, however, I got my phone and started writing in my digital journal. I started thinking about what my life might actually be like if I started thinking about living instead of dying. I reflected on my childhood, where no matter what my current circumstances were (and many times my circumstances were not good), I always had hope for the future. A future of a positive life where I was a blessing, not a burden. A future where I felt confident in who I was, instead of constantly wanting to be somebody, often anybody, else. I had optimistic hope of a bright future. Somehow, however, I lost that vision of a better, brighter future not long after I entered adulthood. And my life began the slow, downward spiral into the darkness that was my reality; or so I thought. Another childhood practice of mine was reading and writing poetry. I loved the rhythm and rhyme of poetry; putting words and thoughts together in such a way as to tell a complete story or create a wonderful (or tragic) vision using a minimal amount of words. And there, in the darkness of my present reality, on my phone, I cranked out a poem that upon reading, let me know that I still had a small spark within me that had refused to die despite all of my efforts to snuff it out. You can read my poem, “The Giver”, on my Poems & Prayers page by clicking the section at the top of this page.
You see, God knew my heart; He saw me for who I really was and He knew what I needed to make the long climb to where I wanted to be, where He needed me to be. He presented new opportunities and placed people in my life that allowed healing to begin. He did that even though I hadn’t uttered a word of prayer. And I began to care for that little spark within me, and He slowly rekindled a fire within me that can never be extinguished. And now, every day, I make conscious and unconscious decisions that allow it to shine brightly for the whole world to see!
One of my favorite Bible verses is Romans 8:28. I think the Amplified Bible states it best: “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” Once I began to believe in my purpose, even though for the longest time, I didn’t know what that purpose was, the perspective of my life began to change. I started seeing all things as blessings, not burdens; even in circumstances and events that cause me to feel uncomfortable. It’s reflection on those uncomfortable times that allow me to see the lessons I learned along the way and provided focus for my purpose and fuel for my fire. Sure, sometimes my fire shines more brightly on some days than others, but I am thankful that it’s still burning; and I make decisions and adopt practices that will keep it burning for eternity. Faith in and hope through Him allow for transformational changes to take place in your mind. Changes in your mind allow for changes in your spirit. And changes in your mind and spirit lead to changes in your life! Once you change your life, everything and everyone around you changes. Once you experience those changes, you will never want to go back to the way you were. But it all begins with Him. God, Allah, Yahweh, Jehovah, Great Spirit, The Creator, The Giver; no matter what you call Him (or Her, or Them; for I believe that God is gender fluid and appears to us in different forms), you need to establish a relationship with and a connection to Him that will lead you to the purpose that He has planned for you. And it all begins in your mind. Change your mind, change your heart, change your life. And that’s what my purpose embodies; helping others make and embrace that change.