I had a friend whose prayers made me uncomfortable. Listening to them praying often made me feel like I had walked in on an argument between two close friends. They’d say things like, “I’m pretty mad at you right now, Lord,” and, “I get so frustrated wondering what on earth you’re doing!” The emotions were raw and unfiltered. There was anger, impatience, sadness and pain. And when there was joy and gratefulness, you knew it was coming from the heart. Their prayers made mine feel very polite and superficial, in comparison. They made me question the depth of my prayers and the freedom I felt in my relationship with God. While this kind of prayer has a time and a place, if we never learn to talk to God honestly about the depths of what we think and feel, then we’ve probably never really learned to pray. There are several reasons that God seems to prefer honest prayers to polite ones.
Today's post is by guest contributor, Christian Clement-Schlimm. He gives an inside look at a corner of the internet to be aware of.
The internet is a useful tool for Christians. Through the internet, Christians now have easy access to a wide variety of Bible translations, commentaries, sermons, and Christian blogs and podcasts. Another helpful thing the internet provides Christians is internet chatrooms. While some of you may not have heard of them before, I have made and continue to make great use of these online meeting spaces. Through chatrooms on platforms like Facebook, Reddit, and Discord, I have connected and conversed with many hundreds of Christians from various parts of the world and Christian denominations across the spectrum. We have shared edifying insights, helpful resources, and unique perspectives which we would not have had access to apart from this online fellowship. But while I love all the useful tools that the internet provides me as a Christian, I was in for a surprise with what I experienced from the chatrooms. Let me share some of the lessons God taught me along the way.
Many people get tongue-tied giving thanks before a meal and feel that their prayers run out of steam (and words!) after just a few minutes. While it’s true that just praying helps you get more comfortable and natural in prayer, I believe that God has given the prayers of Scripture to not only teach us to pray but to guide our prayers. They give us words to express our thoughts and desires to Him.
Today, it’s more common to hear about people fasting for non-religious reasons than for religious ones. The 5:2 diet, the 16/8 method and the warrior diet all incorporate fasts with an aim to weight loss and improved health. But the popularity of the methods may outweigh the actual research of their health benefits. Regardless, it probably says something about our culture that people are more apt to fast for their body than they are for their soul. In the Bible, fasting simply involves voluntarily going without food for a day or more in order to set aside time for prayer and express your hunger for God and desperation to hear from Him. If you haven’t been introduced to biblical fasting, or if it’s been a while since you fasted yourself, let me give you some encouragements from Scripture.
