“Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and give ear to my cry;
hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
a guest, like all my fathers.”
– Psalm 39:12
The Psalms are God’s invitation to be honest with Him. There’s no need to wear masks and pretend with the all-knowing, ever-present God of the universe! The psalms teach us to express our emotions honestly, faithfully, and respectfully. They teach us how to pray when we’re happy and thankful and when we’re lonely and hurting. God is always present and He always hears our prayers but it doesn’t always feel like that to us.
Whenever you experience a season in which God feels distant, know that it’s OK to cry out to God like the psalmist. Be diligent in seeking the Lord. Ask God to hear your prayers, to see your tears, and to respond. Have the faith and wisdom to understand that God will responds on His timetable and in the manner that’s best, but cry out nonetheless. Be honest, urgent, and consistent with God — He already knows your heart anyway. Seek His presence and beg to know Him better so that you won’t feel like a stranger to Him ever again.
These are prayers God loves to answer — again, in His perfect timing and in His perfect way. If you learn to cry out desperately to know Him more, He’ll answer your prayers when the time is right. He will reveal Himself to you and help you see that He was always with you. So pray and keep on praying. Pray with tears if need be. Pray with diligence and faith. Pray with genuine desire to know God more fully. Accept God’s invitation to pour out your heart to Him in faith. #FollowJesus