God, the Holy Spirit, and the Universe are always listening. They don’t listen to the words coming out of our mouths; rather, they listen to the voices in our hearts. When distressed, I am an expert at smiling and saying, “I am doing fine.” Those who know me better than I know myself will call me on my stuff. I’ve often heard, “You should tell your face how good you are doing because it doesn’t know.” Thank God for those in my life who I can’t fool. As for the rest, they nod their heads and turn away.

Whenever I communicate with God through feelings, my prayers are always answered. I speak with my inner voice, and I know it’s so because my emotions are always involved.

A recent prayer proved this theory once again. I had a toothache for three days until I couldn’t take it anymore. The over-the-counter painkillers were not working. At the dentist’s office, they injected six shots to numb the tooth so it could be removed. The pain was still so intense the tooth could not be pulled. The doctor gave me an antibiotic, and we concluded that all my teeth needed to come out, and dentures were my only solution. I signed up, gave them my credit card, and made an appointment. The antibiotic worked after two more days, and the pain went away. Now, I faced the decision to have them all pulled. Before this, I hadn’t been to the dentist in fifty years, all due to fear. I am one of those who are terrified when it comes to teeth. I have faced many life-threatening severe situations in my life, and going to the dentist heads the list.

As the time drew near, I started to chicken out. On the morning of the surgery, I awoke thinking of any excuse for not going. My thoughts had an abundance of feelings, mostly fear. After drinking my coffee, I checked my phone, and there was a message only ten minutes before to call the dentist’s office. When I called, the receptionist said that the new temporary dentures were not ready, and they could not pull my teeth that day. I was so relieved. After thinking about it, I realized that my thoughts and feelings were seen as a prayer and answered. I am writing about this the next day; if I hadn’t prayed to put the procedure off, it would be over. Now, I must go through another week of fear and anxiety.

God is always listening. My mood and attitude could also be considered a prayer. When I complain, there are always feelings involved. Once I find myself in that negative space, I want more. Negative attracts negative. Could it be that I am asking God for something to happen that I don’t like? That is the case. The saying, “Bad things come in threes,” is one example of setting up my expectations. The language of the heart, emotions, and feelings can sometimes be mistaken for prayer. When I am in a sour mood, I have witnessed that sour thinking is all I can come up with, and not-so-great things come my way. On the other hand, when I am sincerely trying to be positive and grateful for all I have along with my learning experiences, what comes is more chances to learn and grow.

In conclusion, I’ve come to realize that feelings with attached thoughts can be taken by powers greater than myself to be a request for help. The Universe answers all requests. Sometimes it’s, “No,” while other times, the answer is “Not now.”

Today, I’m constantly aware of what’s being shuffled in and out of my head and especially aware of those thoughts with feelings attached. Beware of negative thoughts, especially those with feelings. If negative, change the thought. I do it by asking God for help and realizing I am at this place for a reason, and there is something to learn. Then, I become grateful for the opportunity to change the situation with God’s help. God is where my strength to endure comes from. If I have learned anything in my sobriety, it’s that I am not alone, and when I choose, I can plug into a power that loves me and will stand by my side during those lessons that I must learn. I know the power is there, as I have proven it dozens of times through how I pray, so I am cautious about what I pray for and especially mindful if feelings are involved.