The Lodestar

Most often, prayers tend to be highly intellectualised, where we focus on the ideas, theological and formal correctness, lacking authentic emotional engagement. This kind of prayer stems from the relational dryness with God. They tend to be theological essays rather than a warm, intimate conversation with God, a conversation that can bring us closer to Him in a way that mere intellectualism cannot.

Here is a typical (though exaggerated) example of such a prayer: “Almighty, Immutable, and Omniscient Creator, we acknowledge your transcendent sovereignty over the manifold contingencies of temporal existence….”

But the prayers in the Bible are different. Jesus typified this in Gethsemane, where he prayed loudly with “with loud cries and tears.” Hannah prayed with anguish; her anguish was so intense that Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk: “Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli took her to be a drunken woman” (1 Samuel 1:13). The psalmists also did not hide their intense emotions in their prayers. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? “O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest” (Psalms 22:1—2).

Instead of showing off our spiritual knowledge, we should tell God the Father all that hurts, where it hurts and how deeply it hurts. We must be honest with God and not deny our grief, longing, fear, or joy; all these are valid experiences of the Christian life. It is okay to bring our raw, unfiltered emotions before God, whom we can trust with our lives.

So, the next time you pray, resist the temptation to cloak your heart in formal words and carefully constructed ideas. Instead, pray as Jesus did — with honesty, with tears if needed, with loud cries if they rise. Tell God exactly what burdens you, where you bleed, and where you hope. Bring your fears, your grief, and your longing into his presence. Begin today: find a quiet place, open your heart without restraint, and speak to your Father as a child to a parent who already knows and yet longs to hear your voice. In this way, you can strengthen your bond with Him and find comfort in His understanding.