Honesty In Prayer 2 – 8.21.09

Psalm 38:9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

Just like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 12:1), David here provides a good example of being honest with the Lord in prayer. The passage states that ALL of his desire was presented before the Lord. Question: is yours? Do you go to GOD with your plans, your dreams, your goals, your desires, your ambitions? Your needs, your wants, your requests, your wishes? Your problems, your worries, your hurts, your disappointments? Do you lay it all before the Lord?

Some people tend to keep all that inside. Others tend to talk about all those things with their friends, and maybe even their parents and/or pastors, teachers, counselors, mentors – and we ought to do that – but let's not forget to be open and honest and pour out our hearts to the Lord (Psalm 62:8).

For one, that's what friends do (John 15:13-15). They share those things with each other. And prayer is about communing with God. How do we expect to grow closer to the Lord without spending time in His word (to learn of His desires) and spending time in prayer (to thank Him, praise Him, and take Him our desires).

But more importantly, the Bible says in Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Now, this verse does not say that when we go to God with our desires, all those desires are automatically and immediately fulfilled. Nor does it say that if I delight myself in the Lord, He'll give me everything that I want. What this passage emphatically states is that if I delight myself in the Lord, then GOD will give me my desires – that is, He will be the source of my desires. My desires will come from Him. His desires will become my desires.

And that's what prayer is about. It's about aligning our will with the will of God. It's about pouring out our heart before the Lord and allowing Him to fill it with what is good and what is right. "Our business in prayer is not to prescribe but to subscribe to the wisdom and will of God; to refer our case to Him, and then leave it with Him.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.