Hones

ttoGodi
npr
ayer

'
OLor d,youhavesearc
h edmeandknownme' saysPsalm139.
Let­ti
ngGodc ometoknowusis
essenti
al,asitisi
nanyr el
ati
on­shi
p.Let
tingyoursel
fbeknownbyGodmeansmor eorless
whatitmeansi nanyf
riendshi
p:s
peaki
ngabouty ourli
fe,
shar
ingy
ourfeel
ing
s ,
andreveali
ng
yoursel
fopenly.

Whenwe'renothones
ti nar e­l ati
ons h
ip,
us ual
lyther
elati
ons
hipbegi
nstogrowc ol
d,di
stant,
orfor
mal .
Ifwe'
reavoidings omethingunpleasant,
therel
ati
onshi
pde­v ol
vesint
oonedef ined
bynothi
ngmoret h
ansoc ialniceti
es .
Even­t ual
lyther
elati
ons
hipstag
natesordies.

It
'sth
es amewit
hprayer.
Ifwearesay
ingonl
ywhatwethi
nkwes houl
dsaytoGod,r
athert
han
whatwewanttosay,t
henourrel
ati
onshi
pwil
lgr
owc ol
d,di
stant
,andformal
.Honest
yinpray
er,
asinli
fe,i
simport
ant.

Howc anwebeh onestwit

hGodinpray
er?Onewayistoi
mag ineGodri
ghti
nf rontofus.
We
mightimagi
neGods itt
ingac
ros
sfromusinachai
r,orsi
ttingbesi
deusonac ouch,­use
whateveri
magef eel
smos tc
omfor
table.
Thens
peakinaf amili
arway,
insi
lenc eoroutl
oud,
aboutourli
fe.

Beinghones twithGodmeanss haringevery

th ingwithGod,notjus
tthethingsthatwet h
inkare
appropriateforprayer,andnotsimplyourgr atit
udeandpr ais
e.Honestyincl
udess hari
ngthi
ngs
wemi ghtthinkinappropri
ateforconver
s at
ionwi thGod.Angerisaperfectexampl e.I
t'
snatural
tobeang rywithGodov ersuff
eringinourlives .
Disappoint
ments pr
ing
sf romal lofus.
Angerisa
sig
nt h
atwe' realive.

Godc anhandleourang er.Godh asbeenh andli

ngangeraslongash umanshavebeenprayi
ng.
Justr
eadt h
eBookofJ obi nth
eOl dTestament,wher
eJ obrai
lsagainstGodforcausi
nghis
seemingl
yendl es
spain. Usuall
yJobisseenasapa­t ientman,andi nth
ebeginni
ngofthat
bookh ei
s.ButeventuallyJobloseshi
spat ienc
eandbeg inst
oc ur
set hedayhewasborn.That
's
agoodpray erbecauseit'shonest.

Hav
eyouev
erh
adt
heex
per
ienc
eofc
onf
id­i
ngs
omet
hingt
oaf
riendandf
eel
ingr
eli
ef?
Havi
ngbeenopenwi
thGod,
wewi
llf
eelGodc
annowbet
terac
companyus
,asag
oodf
riend
mig
ht.

Whenitcomestoprayer,
themostinappropri
ateemot ion,
atleastinmanyminds,i
ssex
ual
desir
e.Goodpeopleoft
enworryabouttheirsexualfeel­ing
s.Theyareembarras
sedand
ashamedofthem.Butsexual
it
yands exualacti
vityarewonderf
ulgift
sfr
omGodt obe
cel
ebrated.

Onanat ur
allevelt
heydrawpeopletogeth
erf ort
hesakeofc ompanionshi
pandcreat
ingnew
li
fe.Onaspir
ituall
evelt
h os
ef eel
ing
sremi ndusoft
hel ov
et hatGodh asf
orus.
Manys pir
itual
writ
ers,
asinTheSongofSong suseerot
icloveasamet aphorforGod'slov
eforhumanit
y.

Butli
keanygif
t,sexual
it
ymustbeusedwi
sely
.Ifmoti
vatedbyself
ish
ness,i
tcantur
nintoa
desi
reforpos
sessiv
eness.Onamuchmorebenignl
evel,
sexualth
oughtsdur
ingpr
ayercanals
o
beadis­tract
ion.

Sowh atdowedowi ththosefeeli

ngsinpr ayer?Inst
eadofh idi
ngtheseexperi
ences,wes houl
d
sharet h
emwi thGod,andusethemt or emindush owgreatitistobealiv
e,howg r
eatitistobea
creatureofGodandh owwondr ousl
ywear ecreated.I
fthatdoesn'
twork,orifth
osef eeli
ngsare
troublesomebecausetheyaredirectedtoaper s onwit
hwh omwec annothavearelationshi
p,
justbeh ones
twithGodabouty ourstruggl
es .

Beh
ones
twi
thGodaboutev
ery
thi
ng.