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How do you pray when your heart is breaking? How do you pray when you've been betrayed? How do you pray when your worst fears come to pass? How do you pray when tragedy strikes?

The answer, according to the Bible, is to tell God about it. Tell him all about it, every detail about what you feel, think, and fear. You may think you can't come to God unless you believe perfectly. But the Bible gives many examples of people who poured out their grief, bitterness, confusion, pain, sorrow, depression. In this passage, the people of Jerusalem described what it was like to be conquered by their enemies. The writer detailed the difficulties: economic hardships; physical pain and weariness; humiliation; injustice; dangers and sicknesses; the sadness and desolation of having no leaders, no future, no music in their lives, literally or figuratively.

Not until the last few verses did the author focus on God's nature and cry out for help. When you pray, don't be too quick to gloss over your feelings before you concentrate on God. It's difficult to focus properly on God until you've outlined your experience before him, so pour out your heart. God wants you to be honest. (See also 2 Samuel 7:19-29; 2 Kings 19:14-19; 2 Chronicles 6; 7; Nehemiah 1; Psalm 85; Matthew 6:5-15; Acts 4:23-31.)

Good Words to Remember:
You, O LORD, remain forever; your throne from generation to generation …. Turn us back to you, O LORD, and we will be restored; renew our days as of old. Lamentations 5:19, 21

Today's Challenge:
When's the last time you poured out your heart to God? Why not do it today?

Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Bible Studies.

Bible Studies to Help You Go Deeper