Wild PrayersSýnishorn

PRAYERS THAT ARE WILDLY AUTHENTIC

It’s time for “real” talk. Why do we often have the impulse to hide things from God? We pay for therapy sessions to talk our minds out, yet we often find it hard to have a heart-to-heart with our Creator, who is intimately aware of our every thought. God is looking for people who will be wildly authentic in their conversations with Him.

What does it mean to be wildly authentic in our prayers?

• Let your surrender be real:

Let’s consider the story of the prodigal son. When He returned to his Father, his words were heartfelt and sincere: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” When the prodigal son surrendered himself with integrity and sincerity, the Father ran to embrace, adorn and celebrate him.

• Let your requests be real:

David gets super real in his prayer when Absalom chases him. “Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked!” Sometimes, the intentions of our hearts are widely different from what we voice out in prayer. Our hearts rage with anger, while we try to speak words of grace in our prayer. In these circumstances, we tend to forget that God can see beyond the facade of our niceties. When faced with difficult situations and troublesome people, it is important to acknowledge the warring emotions of our heart before God and thereafter ask God for grace to navigate the turbulence in a manner that’s fitting for a believer.

• Let your love be real:

When we come to express our love to God, we tend to copy others. Don’t copy and praise. We see a picture of real love towards God manifest in Luke 7:38 NIV: “She began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” Words of love don’t mean anything if they don’t translate to action. In your prayer life, stay wild in your expression of love towards God.

Matthew 6:5 MSG says it this way: “And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for fifteen minutes of fame! Do you think God sits in a box seat?” God wants us to keep it real.

Reflection time:

1. What are those things that hinder you from being authentic in God’s presence?

2. How can you be more real and intentional in your expression of love towards God?

3. How long has it been since you’ve had a heart-to-heart with God?

Have a little chat about all that you have written down with God.