Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Prayer and Bringing My Ignorance to God (PrayerLife)

Lake Erie shoreline in Monroe

It's more than OK to express your doubts to God in the act of praying. You should do this. Otherwise the conversation is inauthentic and unreal.

Philip Yancey writes:

"Prayer allows a place for me to bring my doubts and complaints — in sum, my ignorance — and subject them to the blinding light of a reality I cannot comprehend but can haltingly learn to trust. Prayer is personal, and my doubts take on a different cast as I get to know the Person to whom I bring them."
- Yancey, Philip. Prayer, Kindle Locations 729-731)

God doesn't freak out when we doubt. But it is weird to have a doubt and pray as if the thing is nonexistent.

In prayer we can and ought to be real with God. God is all-knowing; we are not. God loves us, so any fear we have of God is unfounded.

God gives me permission to bring my entire being to him, including my vast ignorance.