How to Pursue an Authentic Prayer Life

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? PSALM 13:1-2Listen to the complete candour with which David lays out his struggle before God. He is not holding anything back. He is seeking an authentic relationship, and an authentic relationship can only happen with honesty.First, David does not hide his struggle with God: “How long will you hide your face from me?” (13:1). David begins with this because it goes to the heart of the problem. “Why does God seem so far away at precisely the point where I feel my need of Him most?” The Bible teaches us here that a godly believer can come to the place of feeling abandoned by God.Second, David tells God about the struggle going on inside of himself: “How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” (13:2). David’s thoughts are going around in circles: “What am I going to do? How am I going to survive?” There is never an answer, and the pain never goes away.Third, David tells God about the struggle with his enemy: “How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” (13:2). David’s enemy has gained the upper hand. If you offered a seminar to David on “How to Live the Victorious Christian Life,” he would say, “That’s not for me. I feel defeated. I barely know how to keep going, let alone be victorious.”Speaking openly about your experience won’t solve the problem, but it’s critical to having an authentic relationship with Almighty God. On a scale of 1 (guarded) to 5 (friendly) to 10 (candid), how authentic is your relationship / prayer life with God?Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk