So let’s talk about prayer today. We know Scripture tells us to pray always, but what if you just don’t feel like it?
What if your prayers today aren’t going to come out so nice? What if you’re mad at God? What if you hate the world and everything in it? Or you think God doesn’t care anyway, so what’s the use? What about when your faith is weak, or the times when you’re a little embarrassed to bring your latest mess to the throne?
Does that ever happen to you? Author and writer of The Message, Eugene Peterson, says,
“It is easy to be honest before God with our hallelujahs; it is somewhat more difficult to be honest in our hurts; it is nearly impossible to be honest before God in the dark emotions of our hate. In prayer, all is not sweetness and light.”
Friends, prayer is honest talk more than anything. God can take it; he knows your stuff anyway. He wants to hear from you rather than see you hide, for it is in the act of laying your heart before him that he can speak life into it. He longs to be in communication with you in your darkest hour, not just your moments of victory.
Read this prayer of David in Psalm 77:
“Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good?
Will he never smile again?
Is his love worn threadbare?
Has his salvation promise burned out?
Has God forgotten his manners?
Has he angrily stalked off and left us?
‘Just my luck,’ I said. ‘The High God goes out of business just the moment I need him.'”
Sounds honest, doesn’t it? But notice that something happens as David talks honestly to his Father–a transformation of sorts. It seems like he is able to see more clearly as he sorts his feelings out with his Heavenly Father. And God steps in and touches his cold, insolent heart with new life.
The Psalm continues:”Once again I’ll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished, and give a long, loving look at your acts.
O God! Your way is holy!
No god is great like God!”
-Psalm 77:7-13 (The Message)
So next time you don’t feel like praying, just talk to God as you go about your business at home. Don’t worry that your prayers aren’t pretty; be concerned that they are honest.
I find in my own life that God is often the very best one to talk my feelings out with. Just make sure you stick around for Him to step in and surprise you! Greg
So let’s talk about prayer today. We know Scripture tells us to pray always, but what if you just don’t feel like it?
What if your prayers today aren’t going to come out so nice? What if you’re mad at God? What if you hate the world and everything in it? Or you think God doesn’t care anyway, so what’s the use? What about when your faith is weak, or the times when you’re a little embarrassed to bring your latest mess to the throne?
Does that ever happen to you? Author and writer of The Message, Eugene Peterson, says,
“It is easy to be honest before God with our hallelujahs; it is somewhat more difficult to be honest in our hurts; it is nearly impossible to be honest before God in the dark emotions of our hate. In prayer, all is not sweetness and light.”
Friends, prayer is honest talk more than anything. God can take it; he knows your stuff anyway. He wants to hear from you rather than see you hide, for it is in the act of laying your heart before him that he can speak life into it. He longs to be in communication with you in your darkest hour, not just your moments of victory.
Read this prayer of David in Psalm 77:
“Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good?
Will he never smile again?
Is his love worn threadbare?
Has his salvation promise burned out?
Has God forgotten his manners?
Has he angrily stalked off and left us?
‘Just my luck,’ I said. ‘The High God goes out of business just the moment I need him.'”
Sounds honest, doesn’t it? But notice that something happens as David talks honestly to his Father–a transformation of sorts. It seems like he is able to see more clearly as he sorts his feelings out with his Heavenly Father. And God steps in and touches his cold, insolent heart with new life.
The Psalm continues:”Once again I’ll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished, and give a long, loving look at your acts.
O God! Your way is holy!
No god is great like God!”
-Psalm 77:7-13 (The Message)
So next time you don’t feel like praying, just talk to God as you go about your business at home. Don’t worry that your prayers aren’t pretty; be concerned that they are honest.
I find in my own life that God is often the very best one to talk my feelings out with. Just make sure you stick around for Him to step in and surprise you! Greg
Catch Up