Prayer: The Power of an Honest Conversation with God

A close friendship with God starts with honest prayers. The only way to start connecting with God is when we are willing to be honest about the areas of our heart that we avoid.

Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.

Exodus 33:11

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. 7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. 8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:5-8

Friendship Starts with Honesty

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Psalm 34:17-18

Often times we like to avoid telling God about pain and disappointments, but the way to actually be closest to God is when we are willing to deal with these emotions in prayer. The holidays can be a joyful time, yet there are also a lot of painful emotions or memories that we want to ignore. We can use these times to actually be close to God if we decide to be honest rather than hide.

God Will Not Let Us Down

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 5:3

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

John 8:31-32

One reason why it can be so hard to be honest with God is the fear of disappointment. We are afraid that if we were completely honest with God we would be left disappointed. These scriptures talk about how when we are willing to see truth, God will always have our back. We have to be willing to let God in and to give him the opportunity help us.

Questions/Application

• What areas of your life have you been avoiding praying about?
• What emotions do you ignore in your prayers? Which sins do you avoid praying about?

Prayer Idea: Choose 3 Areas of your life that you need be honest about in your prayers and decide to pray about them everyday

Additional Reading

1 Samuel 1-2: How did Hannah learn to have honest prayers? What do you see about the way Hannah prayed that you can start doing in your prayers?