Nothing Off-Limits
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
If you’ve ever felt like certain emotions were too dark or too messy to bring into prayer, you’re not alone. Many of us were taught—directly or subtly—that feelings like anger, doubt, or despair should be left at the door when we talk to God. But that’s not how intimacy works. Just like in any real relationship, hiding our true selves creates distance. God isn’t looking for polished prayers or sanitized emotions. He invites us to come as we are, with everything we’re feeling—even the parts we’re tempted to hide.
Prayer is not about impressing God. It’s about encountering Him with honesty. He already knows the truth about your heart; speaking it simply makes room for healing and connection. So bring it all—your questions, your grief, your rage, your awe. Every part of you belongs in his presence. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics