Honesty

Question: how honest are you with God?  When you pray and fellowship with God, do you use clichés and hide your true feelings or are you completely honest?  Many times when people pray they use some high fluting words that they have heard others pray so as not to be outdone by someone else.  I think believers worry more about what others will think that hear them than what God is thinking, so they pray to make themselves sound good.  God knows everything about us and He wants us to come to Him with our requests in all honesty.

God’s Word says this in Hebrews 4:14-16, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

God’s Word encourages us to come to the throne boldly, making our requests known, but some believers go to the throne of grace timidly and others flippantly and arrogantly, which are not the attitudes they should have.  We should go to the throne of grace respectfully but firmly, with faith, believing that God will answer because He always does, unless we are holding un-confessed sin in our lives which separates us from God.  Sometimes it seems like we try to impress God and man with our prayers.  I can’t speak for you but I have been guilty of this before so I am speaking to me also in this Tidbit.

If you want an example of what prayer and communication between you and God should look like start reading the Psalms.  The Psalms were comprised of all kinds of emotional feelings and honest pleas for many different requests and earnest answers to prayers.  Some seemed angry and even hostile and revengeful while others very thankful and appreciative.  Some were comprised of praise and adoration and some were pleas for help and deliverance and also healing.  I think all of them were very sincere and honest from the heart and that is what God wants to hear from His people.  We cannot shock or surprise God, like I said He knows what we are thinking before we even think it.  

If you have a struggle with praying, Jesus taught His disciples how and what they should pray.  This prayer you can pray daily, it is found in Matthew 6:5-13: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

The next time you pray, pray honestly and boldly with reverent respect.  Don’t be afraid to share with God every need that you have, not because He doesn’t know all of them, but it shows that your dependence is in Him.  God loves you and He is eager to listen to you and to answer your prayers.  God always answers prayers from His children but they may not always be answered the way we want, but like I said, He always answers.  The answer may be ‘yes,’ ‘no’ or ‘wait’ but whatever it is, He knows what is best for us so we should always seek for His will to be done.  I have given you something to think about!  I hope you have a super day and that the good Lord will bless you and yours!!