Honest Before God: The Freedom Found in Pain

Devotional From The Sermon: When We Pray: And God Says No

Rev. Adrienne Aiken Morgan

Reading: Psalm 22:1-11; Mark 14:32-36

Devotional:

There is a particular kind of courage required to be fully honest with God in prayer. Jesus modeled this courage at Gethsemane. He did not mask his anguish or perform a composed, polished petition. He fell to the ground. He named his sorrow. He told the Father exactly what he was experiencing. God does not require us to approach him with our pain already resolved. He invites us to bring it raw and unfiltered. The Psalms are full of this kind of honest, anguished prayer. Your pain does not disqualify your prayer. It is often the very doorway through which God meets you most intimately.

Personal Reflection: What pain have you been reluctant to bring honestly before God? What would it look like to lay it before him today without softening it?

Practical Application: Set aside ten minutes in a quiet place. Write out a prayer that names your pain plainly and honestly, without trying to resolve it or wrap it in a tidy conclusion. Simply tell God where you are.