I also just recently prayed fervently, long, and with faith and trust and hope for a great hope of mine and it seemed God was leading me to my hearts desire (to homeschool my son). I did that for two weeks, making plans for the how and my son and I were both so excited and I felt a joy and purpose in my life I have not felt in so long. But, I did not get the permission I legally need from my son’s out-of-state father to do that (and that was my prayer).
But to address feelings, since you brought them up in the context of discerning God’s will, I do think feelings are one of the ways God communicates with us. While our feelings aren’t the be-all-end-all, and, our feelings can certainly mislead us, they also are important and God works through them and speaks to us through them too. So it must be, I think, a mix of God’s truth wisdom for his leading us and also the circumstances he is putting in our life, and our feelings.
In my recent prayer disappointment I am sure God heard my prayer, and it feels like He said: “Not yet. I am not telling you “when”, but don’t give up hope. Live in the now and I will take care of the future.” The reality of now is I can’t homeschool and have to make the best of what I have today. I feel that God wants me not to give up, and with my son also saying he feels he shouldn’t give up praying, too, that seems to me its what He’s saying.
The other thing i feel is peace. “Not peace the world gives, but peace that passes all understanding.” * That’s* the peace that God gives - the peace that makes no sense. It makes no sense for me to be in peace when my ferverent prayer was not answered as i expected in faith and hope. Thats why I know this peace is God’s peace. So it makes me know He heard my prayer, and cares.
