Prayer - Honest Prayers - Molly Ratliff

“Trust in Him at all times, you people, pour out your heart before Him, God is a refuge for us.” Psalms 62:8“in every situation by prayer let your requests be known to God.” Phil 4:6The reality is every meaningful relationship requires us to learn four things: how to be together (wk. 1), how to talk honestly (wk 2), how to trust deeply (wk 3), and how to work toward the same purpose (wk 4). HONEST PRAYERSHonest: telling the truth; things that are real, genuine, sincere, open and frank about real thoughts or feelings.“Do not imagine that the Lord looks down with any pleasure upon the tens of thousands of forms of prayer…. which are presented to him without heart: such forms rather weary him than worship him… The God of truth can never accept an untruthful devotion…Alas many of our fellow men never pray; and many who think they pray are yet strangers to that sacred exercise. Perhaps you deny that you are thus guilty, for you have always said a prayer, and would not have gone to sleep at night if you had not done so, that I pray you, remember that you may have repeated holy words….and yet may have never prayed a prayer with your heart.”- Charles SpurgeonHonest prayers are prayers given to God by who you actually are.1) the ritual of prayer > the relationship of prayer2) we don’t fully trust we can be honest“To pretend to be other than we are before God is a hideous madness”- Charles SpurgeonThe real sin, the real hypocrisy, is limiting our prayers but pretending God is getting our full heart. | honest pray-ers | Honest prayers | Scripture ref.  | David | Vindication; forgiveness; praise | Ps 109:1-2,4,7-13; Ps 51; Ps 28 | Elijah | Overwhelmed and depressed | 1 Kings 19:4 | Jonah | Questioned God’s way | Jonah 4:1-3 | Father | Faith and doubt | Mark 9 | Jesus | Soul exceedingly sorrowful | Matthew 26:38-39 | Joshua | Bold request | Joshua 10:12“1 Do not keep silent, O God of my praise!2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me…4 But I give myself to prayer…” Psalms 109:1-2, 4“7 Let his (the accuser) prayer become sin.8 Let his days be few and let another take his office. 9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg…13 in the generation to come let their name be blotted out.” Psalms 109:7-13“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalms 62:8Honest prayers are prayers poured outHonest poured out prayers invite God to be a part of all of our life.He becomes the actual God of our life as we are honest and entrust our life to him1) ritual>relationship2) we don’t fully trust we can be honest1)prayers of relationship (intimacy) 2)expressions of faithHonest prayer is “God, here’s what I’m experiencing. Here’s what I want. Here’s what I’m afraid of. Here’s what I don’t understand. And I’m bringing it all to you.”- Sinclair FergusonWe serve a God who is not so small that he cannot handle the reality of who we are. He longs for relationship with us which includes being given access to our real prayers- whether they’re prayers of praise and happiness and prayers where we are dreaming and asking for bold things to the prayers of our deepest pains and questions and doubts.