The Principles of Prayer XXVI

 While we may know in part and see in a mirror dimly, the God we serve has no such limitations. Another of His attributes reserved exclusively for Himself, added onto His omnipotence and omnipresence, is His omniscience. God is all-knowing. There isn’t a question He doesn’t know the answer to, or a mystery that remains a mystery in His eyes. He knows all things. Whether past, present, or future, God knows all things, and there is nothing He is ignorant of throughout eternity.

Before God ever uttered “let there be” in His omniscience, God knew every aspect of every thread of human history so meticulously that there is not one event, situation, or circumstance that fell through the cracks or that He was unaware of.

For someone who forgets where he places his keys from one moment to the next, it’s hard to wrap my mind around the notion of omniscience. The older we get, the harder it becomes to remember certain things, time having a way of fading even the most precious of memories, but not so with God.

Why does this matter? Because oftentimes we find ourselves thinking that God either doesn’t understand a situation we are going through, or is unaware of a trial, a setback, or a testing in our lives. He is fully aware and has intimate knowledge of every aspect of our lives, and in all things, there is a purpose that, although we might not see in the moment, we have faith and trust that He does.

Lord, do you not see my struggle? Lord, do you not see my pain? Lord, do you not see my tears? He does, but He also sees what strength and faith the valley will produce in you. He also sees the end result of your testing, having gone through the fire and coming out the other side, all the stronger for it.

God’s omniscience was not acquired over time or through diligent study. He has always possessed it, and throughout the millennia, there has been no oversight on His part regarding anything pertaining to human existence.

Only a God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent can be a truly just God. There can never be a miscarriage of justice when it comes to God. The prosecution can neither manufacture evidence nor withhold evidence; the defense can’t contrive or stretch the truth, insisting that if the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit. God knows all things; nothing is hidden from His all-seeing eyes. When He sits in judgment and dispenses justice, it is with full and complete knowledge of the situation, the circumstances, and the intent.

Some people use the motto that God knows their heart as an excuse and justification for their duplicity and irreverence. They believe it to be their defense when, in truth, it is the proof of their guilt. Yes, God knows your heart, and for some this is a reason for dread, for in their hearts they know they chose disobedience, they chose rebellion, they chose to be situationally committed to the ways of Christ, rather than wholly sold out and surrendered to Him.

If you have children, you know that accidents occur once in a while, but you also know that sometimes, even though they insist it was an accident, it really wasn’t, and there was intent behind their action. Even when you were witness to the entire thing, and you could see the premeditation on their face, they’ll still insist that picking up the wiffle ball bat, sauntering up to her big sister, and whacking her across the back, was wholly accidental, even though thirty seconds prior her big sister wouldn’t share her Legos, and she walked away in a huff.

They’ll tell you they didn’t mean to do it with such sincerity and heartfelt emotion that had you not witnessed the entire interaction, you would likely believe them. This is similar to how men interact with God. Rather than humbling themselves, confessing, and repenting, they insist they are innocent, even though they know they are not. God sees all and He knows all. He was a present and credible witness to the choices that led to the action that led to your situation. To claim innocence when we are fully aware of our guilt and complicity is to diminish who God is.

There are instances within scripture where certain men failed spectacularly, yet due to the sincerity of their heart, their contriteness, and their willingness to humble themselves and admit fault, they still found grace and favor in the sight of God.

One such individual is David, whom God declared as being a man after His own heart who would do all His will. Yet, in studying David's life, we see that he was far from perfect. The reason David found favor in the sight of God wasn’t because he never stumbled, but that when he stumbled, he repented, understanding he was at fault, and he owned up to it.

Willful, habitual sin isn’t stumbling; it’s rebellion. It’s not what David was guilty of, just in case some would use his story to justify their lifestyle, but the purpose of this idea thread has more to do with God’s omniscience, and our admission of guilt, and ensuing repentance, rather than a broader conversation regarding what has become a sin culture within the church justified by taking a handful of scriptures out of context.

Whatever excuses men might come up with in order to justify their faithlessness will be deemed insufficient when they stand before the all-knowing Creator of all that is. We will stand before Him as individuals, and though we might try to scapegoat others for our actions, we are accountable for what we do, how we live, what we believe, and whether or not we walk in obedience to His word. God knows everything not just in part, but in whole. There is no nuance one can highlight to make His understanding of a situation change, or declare His righteous judgments unjust.

Walk circumspectly. Search your heart. Be honest with God, knowing He already knows. Set aside whatever self-aggrandizing image you might have of yourself and know that if you stand, it is by grace and the power He has endowed you with. It’s not you. It’s never been you. It’s always been Him working in you and through you, and this knowledge should serve to keep you humble, no matter the lengths to which God chooses to use you.       

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr. 

Posted on 16 May 2025 | 11:54 am