Learning to Question God

Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame? Jeremiah 20:18 (New International Version)

Have you ever brought painful questions to God? David, Job, and Jeremiah have left us examples of prayer lives that included questioning God and His ways. For some of us, that is quite a stretch to our perception of prayer and what we consider allowable. We have yet to reach the point that our biblical ancestors reached…..honest, open dialogue with the God who knows every intimate detail of our heart and mind. Some of us are still living with the idea that if we don’t speak it then it isn’t there. What God wants us to see is that our thoughts speak as loudly as our words to Him.

So what stops us from verbalizing our feelings and thoughts to God? Maybe fear that they will anger God. Maybe the hopes that they will go away on their own. Maybe our self imposed categories of acceptable and unacceptable topics. Maybe being brought up in homes where open dialogue was rare. Maybe the sense that “real” Christians don’t entertain such feelings.

I am not saying if we ask God the difficult questions that we will always get an answer that satisfies our need to know or will cause everything to make sense. What I am saying is God is safe to confide in. Many times He will use our own questions to awaken us to truths about Himself and the conditions of our own heart. It is through the questioning that we can see our own areas of discontent, distrust, disobedience, and disappointment. If we allow it, truth will make its way into our core belief system and our perception and feelings will begin to change.

If you want a good example of such a prayer of gut level honesty, open your Bible to Jeremiah 20 and learn from one whose life was filled with difficulties and hardships brought about by speaking God’s truth to God’s people. Then begin to let God walk you through your own personal experience of sharing your heart with Him. Nothing you say will surprise, shock, or anger Him. He will not shut you down or shut you out. He will listen and then He will begin to give you answers you never imagined you would hear. Trust me, your prayer life will never be the same!

Father, You require truth in the inward parts and that means even in our conversations with you. Thank you that nothing we say will be taken wrong by You. Lord, teach us to pray. Amen.

Help Me, God - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmSSWHO8ueA&feature=related

Fixing my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith!