Real, Raw, and Relevant Prayers
The Divine Operating System: Component #1: Prayer
Be Authentic
Let's face it: sometimes prayer feels awkward or intimidating, like we have to put on our Sunday best and mind our manners before God. But the truth is, He wants our raw, unfiltered reality, not a polished performance.
So how do you pray with authenticity?
Start by giving yourself permission to be real with God.
Verbalize your emotions, fears, hurts, and frustrations without holding back. If you're angry, tell Him.
If you're doubting, ask Him your honest questions.
If you're hurting, cry out to Him for healing. God can handle the messiness of your inner world, so give Him all of it.
Don't settle for surface-level prayers that skim over your true struggles and desires. Instead, bring your real, relevant requests before God, trusting that He cares about every detail of your life. Pray specifically about the challenges you're facing, the decisions you're weighing, and the relationships you're navigating.
Remember, authentic prayer requires vulnerability and trust. It means exposing the hidden places of your heart to God's loving light, believing that He welcomes your honesty and desires your wholeness. So let go of any pretense or self-protection and allow Him to meet you in the raw, unfiltered reality of your soul!
[[Note: Excerpted from, The Divine Operating System: 16 Vital Components for Optimizing Your Daily Christian Life, a brand new book by Iann Schonken, released in June 2024.]]
For my mother and grandmother’s generation, this is revelation, indeed. For the generation who was taught to never question God, this is revelation. One glimpse into the Book of Psalms will show a genuine heart in turmoil and anguish - questioning. I’m thankful He sees beyond our current pain.