“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him”
Matthew 6: 6-8
How do you talk to God? Do you reserve a special place for God? A special time? Do you give God your full attention? Your full heart?
Often times when we pray, we get into a rhythm of the things we want, the people we care about, the state of our world and country. We regularly forget to remove our mask before God and bare our complete souls. The quiet place is not just for reverence of God; it is for us. It is for us to stop sanitizing our prayers and display our brokenness before our Father and allow him to come in.
Are you hurt? Angry? Frustrated? Struggling with serving God? Impatient? Questioning? Guess what not only does God already know; Jesus felt the same emotions. God gave us Jesus not just to save us, but to offer us a vessel that understands. Jesus wept; Jesus got angry; Jesus felt pain. Jesus is our conduit to God because Jesus walked the earth that we walked; loved the way that we love; and struggled the way we struggle. The words do not matter; the sincerity of the emotions behind the words matter. The authenticity of our hearts demonstrates our faith.
Faith that God can handle our prayers. God holds our messy humanity in his hands and offers hope. Frequently we forget the depth of God’s knowledge and encompassing glory of his love. The quiet place is not just for God. The quiet place is for us; the quiet place holds our hearts on full display for our Lord.
Dear my merciful and loving Father,
Grant me strength to remove my mask before you. Allow me to reveal my most inner thoughts and feelings. In this vulnerability, endow me with faith that nothing is too difficult with you by my side. Amen.
