Talking about God's feelings is rarely a good idea.
On the one hand, it is challenging and dubious. Challenging, because we cannot know the mind of God beyond what He has revealed to each one of us in His word. Dubious, because God does not have feelings as we have feelings. He is not fickle, emotional, persuaded, reactionary, or spontaneous as we are. He is the unchanging God who exists outside of time, ordaining all things according to His will alone.
Yet, on the other hand, God certainly has affections. In Scripture we see Him express joy and grief, pleasure and anger, gladness and sorrow. He is personal, and He has chosen to relate to His creation personally. Prayer is perhaps the most tangible way that His children can experience His personal nature, as He hears us and responds to our needs.
A very striking verse on this subject is the last verse of 2 Samuel where it says, "The Lord was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel," (24:25).
David had stirred up the anger of the Lord by rebelliously taking a census (24:10-13). David then stirred up the mercy of the Lord by trusting in Him (24:14-16). After that, David experienced the comfort and encouragement of the Lord by offering a sacrifice with prayer at great personal expense (24:21-25). The immortal, invisible Creator was responding to His creature within creation, in real time, with real affections. And He answered David's prayer, even with a "Yes."
What can you take away from all of this? First, we must believe that God relates to us very personally. Second, we must also believe that in this personal relationship, He desires to be moved by the prayers of His people when they come to Him in faith. This is not an offense to His transcendent, sovereign power. This is how He has chosen to relate to us.
What motivation we have to pray!
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