Come to the Healing Waters
Many of us have absorbed tacit or explicit taboos about what we are permitted to bring into prayer. We may have learned, for instance, that doubt, anger, hatred, or despair were inappropriate to express to God. Yet we know what happens to human relationships when negative feelings are suppressed. Communication becomes artificial or breaks down; the two parties become emotionally estranged; intimacy becomes impossible. Why should we imagine it is different with God? In prayer, we need to speak whatever truth is in us: pain and grief, fear and disappointment, yearning and desire, questions and doubt, hope and faith, failure and weakness, praise and thanks, despair and sorrow, anger and, yes, even hatred.
—Marjorie J. Thompson
Soul Feast
Thompson touches on something here worthy of our full attention: When praying, we should be completely open and honest with God. Sugar-coating how we feel for the sake of religious decorum is folly; He knows our hearts, our thoughts, and most importantly, our needs. Prayer is the place to express our positive emotions like hope and gratitude, but we are neglecting the best of God’s elixir if we stop there. Expressing the full spectrum of our emotions, including negative feelings like pain, fear, anger, and even hatred, is the way to truly connect with God and receive His grace and support. In prayer, authenticity and vulnerability lead to healing. Come to the healing waters as they’re stirred by your heart-honest prayers! —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics