“I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.” (Psalm 142:1–2, NLT)
A man from the congregation stopped by late one afternoon. He wanted to talk. Living in a parsonage at the time, I asked if he wanted to walk around the church grounds. It was a nice day. The sun was shining. I find it easy for people to walk and talk when upset. He agreed to the walk. As we ambled through the church property, he began to pour out his soul. He was filled with anxiety and hurt over a wrong done to him.
As we walked and talked, I hardly had to speak. The words just flew from his mouth. The pain of injustice was palpable. The deep hurt in his heart brought tears to his eyes. The betrayal of a trusted friend shook him to the core. Then, anger spilled forth… “Why had this happened?”
After a few more minutes of hurt and frustration spilled out, I asked, “What did you feel when you told this to God in your prayers?”
He replied with a shocked look upon his face, “I would NEVER complain and get upset like this in prayer to God! Are you crazy, Pastor? This stuff doesn’t belong in a prayer, for God’s sake!”
Therein lies the problem. This hurting man did not believe it right to speak to God about his personal hurts, his human feelings of anger at betrayal, about the emotions burning inside his heart. He thought these emotions were “too human and carnal” to bring to Almighty God. He didn’t want God to think less of him, so he refrained from speaking about any “lowly” human feelings in his prayers. What this man did not understand is that God desires you to share everything with him. God wants you to pour out your thoughts and hurts and emotions and fears and regrets and needs. God wants a REAL relationship with you, not some “holier than thou” kind of interaction!
The scripture for today confirms the desire of the Lord to have a REAL and INTIMATE relationship with you. In Psalm 142, David remarked, “I cry out to the Lord…” (Psalm 142:1). David believed that a healthy relationship with the Lord involved not only worship and praise, but also cries and tears and real emotions. When David wrote this psalm, he was in danger. He cowered in a cave, hiding from King Saul and the soldiers that sought to kill him. It was a frightening and terrible time in his life! David felt betrayed! Injustice surrounded him! Did David hide this from the Lord? NO WAY! David cried out as he prayed!
In the rest of the scripture for today, David continues to pour out his soul before the Lord. He uttered “complaints”! He spoke out about his “troubles”. In his relationship with the Lord, David did not hold back. He bared his soul before the Lord. He did not just share religious things. He talked about his troubles and pains and worries and fears. He uttered complaints about the unfairness of his situation. He wanted God’s help. He needed assurance. He trusted that God would listen and respond perfectly. David believed a healthy relationship with God began with honesty in prayer!
When is the last time you really opened up to God in honest, soul-baring prayer?
After kissing her eight-year-old boy goodnight, Joan walked over to the door, turned out the light to the bedroom, and softly closed the door behind her. Then, she listened. Usually when her son Caleb went to bed, he prayed. They used to pray together, but Caleb wanted to pray by himself now. As Joan listened, Caleb began to pray, “Dear God, my soul trusteth in thee. I sing praises to you. Amen.” Joan was totally confused. What kind of prayer was this? The next day, Joan asked Caleb about his prayer. Caleb responded, “That’s what Pastor Mark said in church last week when he prayed. Since his prayers are supposed to work, I used his words! Now, I know God will listen to me!”
Caleb thought that using “holy words” made God listen better. This little guy thought that if he said the “right words”, God would have a better chance of answering his prayers. Later, Caleb confessed that he didn’t understand what the pastor’s words meant, but he was sure they meant something very important! Sadly, by using someone else’s words, Caleb was not sharing what was in his own heart and soul. Caleb was not being honest in his own relationship with God. He thought using religious wording was what God wanted to hear. He was wrong!
Believe it or not, God wants to know the real you. God wants to hear the thoughts of your mind and heart and soul, even when they are selfish or wrong or hurtful or ignorant. If you are honest with God by opening up about what you are thinking and feeling, God will help you deal with the hurts and emotions and fears and realities of your life. Being honest with God opens you up to better healing and enables you to better understand your own weaknesses and strengths. That is why it is crucial that addicts speak about their addiction before the Lord. That is why you were taught to confess your sins to Almighty God.
God wants to know the details of your life, including your mistakes and sins and failures and successes and dreams and hopes and fears. You will NEVER have a deep and rewarding relationship with God by holding back what is going through your heart and soul and mind when praying! Don’t just act religious, be honest with God. Don’t hide your failures from God, openly confess them! Don’t show God only your good side; let God work with all your heart and soul. Maybe one reason you aren’t growing closer to God is that you are holding back the real you!
As we walked and talked, I hardly had to speak. The words just flew from his mouth. The pain of injustice was palpable. The deep hurt in his heart brought tears to his eyes. The betrayal of a trusted friend shook him to the core. Then, anger spilled forth… “Why had this happened?”
After a few more minutes of hurt and frustration spilled out, I asked, “What did you feel when you told this to God in your prayers?”
He replied with a shocked look upon his face, “I would NEVER complain and get upset like this in prayer to God! Are you crazy, Pastor? This stuff doesn’t belong in a prayer, for God’s sake!”
Therein lies the problem. This hurting man did not believe it right to speak to God about his personal hurts, his human feelings of anger at betrayal, about the emotions burning inside his heart. He thought these emotions were “too human and carnal” to bring to Almighty God. He didn’t want God to think less of him, so he refrained from speaking about any “lowly” human feelings in his prayers. What this man did not understand is that God desires you to share everything with him. God wants you to pour out your thoughts and hurts and emotions and fears and regrets and needs. God wants a REAL relationship with you, not some “holier than thou” kind of interaction!
The scripture for today confirms the desire of the Lord to have a REAL and INTIMATE relationship with you. In Psalm 142, David remarked, “I cry out to the Lord…” (Psalm 142:1). David believed that a healthy relationship with the Lord involved not only worship and praise, but also cries and tears and real emotions. When David wrote this psalm, he was in danger. He cowered in a cave, hiding from King Saul and the soldiers that sought to kill him. It was a frightening and terrible time in his life! David felt betrayed! Injustice surrounded him! Did David hide this from the Lord? NO WAY! David cried out as he prayed!
In the rest of the scripture for today, David continues to pour out his soul before the Lord. He uttered “complaints”! He spoke out about his “troubles”. In his relationship with the Lord, David did not hold back. He bared his soul before the Lord. He did not just share religious things. He talked about his troubles and pains and worries and fears. He uttered complaints about the unfairness of his situation. He wanted God’s help. He needed assurance. He trusted that God would listen and respond perfectly. David believed a healthy relationship with God began with honesty in prayer!
When is the last time you really opened up to God in honest, soul-baring prayer?
After kissing her eight-year-old boy goodnight, Joan walked over to the door, turned out the light to the bedroom, and softly closed the door behind her. Then, she listened. Usually when her son Caleb went to bed, he prayed. They used to pray together, but Caleb wanted to pray by himself now. As Joan listened, Caleb began to pray, “Dear God, my soul trusteth in thee. I sing praises to you. Amen.” Joan was totally confused. What kind of prayer was this? The next day, Joan asked Caleb about his prayer. Caleb responded, “That’s what Pastor Mark said in church last week when he prayed. Since his prayers are supposed to work, I used his words! Now, I know God will listen to me!”
Caleb thought that using “holy words” made God listen better. This little guy thought that if he said the “right words”, God would have a better chance of answering his prayers. Later, Caleb confessed that he didn’t understand what the pastor’s words meant, but he was sure they meant something very important! Sadly, by using someone else’s words, Caleb was not sharing what was in his own heart and soul. Caleb was not being honest in his own relationship with God. He thought using religious wording was what God wanted to hear. He was wrong!
Believe it or not, God wants to know the real you. God wants to hear the thoughts of your mind and heart and soul, even when they are selfish or wrong or hurtful or ignorant. If you are honest with God by opening up about what you are thinking and feeling, God will help you deal with the hurts and emotions and fears and realities of your life. Being honest with God opens you up to better healing and enables you to better understand your own weaknesses and strengths. That is why it is crucial that addicts speak about their addiction before the Lord. That is why you were taught to confess your sins to Almighty God.
God wants to know the details of your life, including your mistakes and sins and failures and successes and dreams and hopes and fears. You will NEVER have a deep and rewarding relationship with God by holding back what is going through your heart and soul and mind when praying! Don’t just act religious, be honest with God. Don’t hide your failures from God, openly confess them! Don’t show God only your good side; let God work with all your heart and soul. Maybe one reason you aren’t growing closer to God is that you are holding back the real you!