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Below the Surface

If you're like me, you hate small talk. I do understand it's a necessity, and that we can’t go around talking about our deepest, darkest secrets with everyone all the time. So we chat, often talking about the weather, a favorite team, or our hobbies, and never really get down to our stories, fears, or what makes us tick.

Unfortunately, our prayers can often remain small talk with God, too.

We know that talking with God is something that we should do, but often we don’t really get into the “below the surface” stuff. Prayer is something we do when it is convenient, but we’re not necessarily committed to digging down into the real issues of our lives.

King David is someone in the Bible who didn’t let conversations with God remain at surface level. We know this because of what is recorded in the Psalms. The Psalms are Israel’s collection of songs and prayers that are mostly written by King David.

In Psalm 55, David cried out to God to hear him, help him, and to lead him into what He desired for this life. In Psalm 51:1-3, David sought God’s forgiveness from the terrible sins he committed while he wildly followed desires that were contrary to God’s will. And in Psalm 139:23-24, David invited God to search him and give him insight into the unaware areas of his life that needed correction and guidance.

Obviously, David was not satisfied with a surface level conversation with God. I think it was because of David's great desire and willingness to go below the surface that God considered him to be a man after His own heart.

Today during your prayer time, try to focus on more than just small talk and invite God below the surface.

Prayer Prompts:

• Acknowledge that God knows you even more than you know yourself.
• Ask Him to forgive you for trying to hide things from Him, and for trying to keep your relationship on the surface level.
• Tell Him that you desire to go beyond small talk in your prayer time together.
• Be honest if you are scared about what you will find below the surface, but commit to trusting God with whatever you find there.
• Spend 2-3 minutes in silence asking God to search your heart and reveal anything you’ve kept hidden, and ask for forgiveness for those things that come to the surface.