Praying with a sincere heart
Being honest with yourself and with God
I used to think that prayer was this scary thing because God could just use supervision and see right into your soul.
So even trying to lie during prayer was pointless and terrifying.
Would God smite me for trying to cover up something when I was praying?
Now that I have kids, I can see that having an honest heart in prayer is more about whether or not we will tell the truth or not.
I know when my kids are caught in a lie. And I so desperately want them to tell me the truth.
…and it sucks when they lie to me anyway…
But, then again, I know I have had conversations with my kids when I can also tell they aren’t exactly sure what they want or need or what they are feeling.
So, sometimes, it isn’t them being sneaky. They just can’t figure out what is going on inside themselves.
The same is true for all of us.
Sometimes, we need to be honest with ourselves and sort out where we are at in our hearts before coming to God in prayer. Are we really feeling X, Y, or Z? Or is there something else going on?
Having an honest heart means more than simply telling the truth. It means not sitting in your own un-truths, insecurities, or lies as you come before God in prayer.
My prayer for today
Our Father, help us know our true hearts. Spirit, break down the barriers in our hearts and minds that are keeping us from being honest with ourselves. Jesus, give us the grace to fail. Amen.
Remember
Are you being honest with yourself? What is really bothering you right now? What has you feeling upset or lost or elated or joyous? When you are honest with yourself you can more readily be honest with God.