I Prayed Through Pain—And You Said God’s Not Happy With Me?

Your Opinion, God’s Name: How Spiritual Manipulation Breaks the Faithful

I’ve always believed in living my life with integrity—quietly walking a path of faith, doing right by others, even when the world gave me every reason not to. I’ve stumbled, sure, but my heart has always leaned toward kindness. I’ve never lived to purposefully harm, never sought recognition, and never made a show of my faith. I serve in my church, pray sincerely, and try to live right—even when no one’s watching.

So lately, I’ve heard something that’s left me deeply unsettled:

“God is not happy with the way you live your life.”

I must say, that statement has haunted me—not because I fear divine disapproval, but because of who says it and how it’s said, and lately I have been hearing it quite a bit from different people.

Does God Speak to Others About Me?

I often wonder:Does God really give people front-row access to His thoughts about me? I take this view because lately, most of my conversations with Him are painfully one-sided. My prayers are real—raw, honest, sometimes desperate. I can say that this is evidenced on very real occasions like when my daughter suffered a stroke that nearly claimed her life… or when I lost my job more than once due to speaking up for the right thing … or as my health continues to decline.

It's been brutal, and yet, I still show up. I still pray. I still serve. Often in silence. Often in tears.

So when someone, who hasn’t walked a day in my shoes, tells me God is displeased with me, I have to ask—are they really hearing from God, or are they projecting something they feel about me but can’t say out loud?

What Does the Bible Say About This?

Theologically speaking, scripture is not vague on judgment.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” — Matthew 7:1“The Lord does not look at the things people look at… the Lord looks at the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall.” — Romans 14:4

If these verses are to be believed—and I do believe them—then one thing is clear: God doesn’t outsource judgment to people.

Life is tough as it is, and yet, some Christians seem to carry a divine clipboard, ticking off who’s “pleasing God” and who isn’t—based not on heart or spirit, but on perception, performance, and sometimes petty preferences.

Psychological Truth: When It’s Not About You

Let’s shift lenses for a moment and look at this from a psychological perspective? One can deduce that what’s often happening here is projection. People carry shame, guilt, envy, or internal conflict, and instead of owning it, they externalize it. You become the screen onto which they project their unresolved mess.

• Your peace unsettles them.

• Your quietness gets interpreted as arrogance.

• Your devotion gets seen as pride.

• Your suffering becomes “evidence” of God’s disapproval.

Well, here’s the truth:Their discomfort isn’t always your responsibility.

Faith Without Performance

I don’t perform my faith.I don’t put on holiness like a costume to be seen.

Let's get real, there are people lying, stealing, cheating, manipulating, having children with multiple partners, abandoning their children—and yet God’s anger is directed at me? The man quietly trying to survive, to keep praying, to stay kind?

I find that hard to believe.

The Weaponization of “God Said”

Here’s what I’ve come to understand:Many times, people don’t have the courage to say what they really feel. So instead of saying, “I don’t like you,” or “You make me uncomfortable,” or “You’re not living how I think you should”—They wrap it in God-language:

• “God told me you’re not walking right.”

• “You’re out of alignment.”

• “There’s pride blocking your blessings.”

It sounds spiritual—but it’s spiritual manipulation, and it’s dangerous.

What I Know to Be True

Let me tell you what I know—without a shadow of doubt:

• God is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).

• Suffering is not always punishment—it’s often preparation (James 1:2-4).

• We are saved by grace, not performance (Ephesians 2:8-9).

• No one has the authority to speak on God’s behalf about someone else’s heart (Romans 14:4).

I may not hear God the way others claim to, but I know my journey. I know my integrity. I know the pain I’ve faced and the grace I’ve held onto in silence.

So, if God truly has a problem with the way I live my life, I trust that He will tell me.

Until Then…

I’ll keep praying, even though I struggle with it.I’ll keep walking in love. I’ll keep helping others quietly. I’ll keep refusing to harden my heart.

Simply because I know what it costs to live this way, and I know that heaven keeps receipts—even when people don’t.

If you're reading this and have ever been on the receiving end of those words—“God is not happy with you”—I want you to hear something clearly:

God knows your heart. He sees what others don’t, and you don’t need to prove your faith to people who never understood your pain.

All I can say is if you haven't felt my rain, you don't get to judge my storm. So, I'll let them talk and let God speak for Himself.

Till the next one,

Ciao!