Pray Through Your Emotions

The Importance of Prayer Part 1: Pray through your Emotions

Do you want change?  Do you want it enough in your life to change your habits, and spend more time with the One who can change you?

Let’s remember first, that you don’t need to put on a front with God.  What I’m saying is that you don’t need to hide your feelings from Him – He already knows how you feel.  You don’t need to pretend to be something you are not, because He already knows who you are.

I hope that you just took on a sigh of relief when you realized this.  That God doesn’t want you to pretend with Him – He wants your honesty.  Look at the prayers that are throughout the Old Testament, and you’ll see a common thread – “Why?”

Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?  Why do You hide in times of trouble?(Psalm 10:1)

I will say to God, my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” (Psalm 42:9)

Why do You hid Your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression? (Psalm 44:24)

Have you ever felt like that?  Why aren’t you here God?  Why do you seem to not be around when I need you?  Why don’t you care that I’m having trouble in my life?  Why don’t you see what I’m going through?

Realize this – your anger with God does not drive a wedge between you and Him.  It is your silence that drives the wedge.  Your relationship with God is the same as your relationship with your spouse.  If you don’t talk to each other and voice your problems, allowing the other to comfort you or tell you why – then you will be driven apart rather than together.

When you are angry or confused in your life and wonder where God is, ask Him.  Don’t ask someone else, ask HIM.  And don’t take silence as a response.  Pour it all out to Him, over and over again if necessary.

In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.  I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.  Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in Linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! (Daniel 10:2-5)

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, on of the chief princes came to help me.” (Daniel 10:12-13)

Daniel prayed and fasted for three weeks before getting an answer.  But he persisted, and his faith that God would answer him caused him to receive the answer and a blessing.  Please note the fact that God sent the answer right away, but the messenger was delayed by Satan and his wiles. 

If Satan can get you to give up by delaying the message – rest assured that he will do it.  His entire goal in keeping you from the change you need is to get you to doubt that God can do it, that He wants to do it, or that He loves you enough to do it.  If you quit, Satan wins.

Falling is not failure.  It’s part of the process.  If you mess up or fall down: trust God and get back up.  It’s when you stay down and quit that you lose.

That’s what the “silent treatment” does in your relationship with God.  It’s when you give up and stop talking to Him because you just don’t see the “use.”  As long as you keep yelling and railing at God, asking Him why, and being open and honest with Him – you will strengthen that relationship.

Again I am doing a 3 part series, this time on prayer.  I hope that you will be blessed by the insights that I’ve been granted.  We’re heading into a busy weekend, so part 2 will be posted sometime over the weekend, and part 3 on Monday.  Thanks for reading!