People often ask how they should pray. Jesus told his disciples, "When you pray, say..." and then he gave them actual words to repeat. Likewise, many of us are looking for the "right" words to fill in what's in our hearts. The worry is that without the proper language, prayers aren't spiritual enough. Well, I think there are many, many more ways to pray faithfully than there might be wrong ways to pray.
Psalm 142 reminds us that prayer doesn't have to be impressive. Sometimes, prayer is simply telling God your trouble.
Tell God what's weighing on you. Explain what happened today. Name your disappointment and admit what you're fearful of. Talk about the frustrations. Say out loud what you're hoping for and what you're afraid might never happen. And just know that God doesn't need the information; God knows. But actually learning to tell God everything is an expression of your relationship with God.
Psalm 142 begins with David crying out from a cave. Whether he is literally hiding from Saul or the cave symbolizes something else, the message is the same. Sometimes, we feel trapped in life. Sometimes, the cave is a season of distress or simply life's pains.
David says, "Before him I tell my trouble." See how practical that is?
There's something meaningful and powerful about putting your burdens into words before God. As you speak honestly, you begin to recognize that prayer isn't pretending everything is fine. Prayer is bringing our real lives into God's presence.
David didn't wait until he felt hopeful before he prayed. He prayed while he was still in the cave.
And maybe you are in a cave today. Or maybe you will be soon. If you don't know what else to say, start here: Tell God your trouble. You may not leave with every answer, but you will leave knowing the One you're praying to hasn't left you.
Stay blessed...john
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