The God Who Sees Me.

Hagar ran into the desert carrying fear, shame, and the heavy feeling of being invisible. In that raw, lonely place she met God, not as a distant idea but as a presence who noticed her pain. She named Him El Roi, the God who sees, and that simple recognition shifted everything.

Prayer often begins in the place we feel most unseen. It’s not always eloquent or tidy; sometimes it’s a single whispered sentence: “God, you see me.” When we bring our honest, messy moments to God, prayer becomes the place where despair meets hope and confusion meets clarity. Hagar’s encounter reminds us that being seen by God is the first step toward healing, direction, and renewed thinking.

This January, as we focus on prayer, let Hagar’s story invite you to stop performing and start praying from the heart. Renewing your mind doesn’t begin with perfect theology, it begins with the simple, steady truth that God sees you and loves you in the wilderness.

Application

• Name your place. Tell God exactly where you feel unseen, one sentence is enough.

• Pray simply. Repeat: “God, you see me” whenever anxiety or shame rises.

• Act from truth. Choose one small step today that reflects God’s sight, reach out, rest, or speak a truth aloud.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for seeing me in my wilderness. When I feel invisible or alone, remind me that You notice every tear and every whisper. Teach me to pray honestly and to live from the truth that I am seen and loved. Amen.