honest prayers.

I was reading “Hinds Feet on High Places” a few weeks ago, and this one passage keeps coming to mind lately. In the book, the main character is on this journey, and she’s talking to the King (God) about her cousin. She sheepishly describes her cousin as a bully (which he is!). ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I love the King’s response.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

“I know him,” replied the King gravely, but with just a hint of a smile. “I know him well. You do not exaggerate when you speak of his wretchedness. I have had to interfere and chastise him many times to try and correct his bullying propensities. But ‘though I have chastened him sore I have not given him over unto death.’” ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣⁣“You do not exaggerate when you speak of his wretchedness.” I love the way that the King not only affirmed and encouraged her in what she felt, but also finished out his statement displaying the he had compassion for her miserable cousin. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I can’t speak for y’all, but I can say that I’ve been one to shy away from honesty in prayer because I don’t want to be “mean.” & I truly believe that this is a tactic of the enemy — to make us feel condemned when we go to pray honest prayers for those that we love. We are bombarded with thoughts of, “Well! That’s judgmental to say about them,” or “Funny that you would say that when you deal with the same thing,” or even “You sure you’re not making that up? No one else seems to recognize it as a problem.” ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

It’s okay to recognize pride in someone, take it before God, and call it pride. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

It’s okay to call an addiction an addiction and pray about it. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

God’s not offended. He has compassion for that person, and He recognizes it, and He’s using your prayers to heal those around you! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Honestly, it’s even okay to pray for something for someone else, only to recognize it in yourself! Just pray for yourself in that area too! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Y’all. Let’s be free in our prayers. The enemy so badly wants to disable our prayer lives by making us feel like we’re defeated.

Today, I encourage you to pray about the things that you’ve been afraid of addressing in prayer. Whether it involves someone you love or a hard situation, pray honest prayers.