Monday, January 30, 2012

Pouring Out in Prayer

There she was discouraged and reduced to tears. Her lips were moving but nothing was heard by the man standing near.  He assumed she must have come into the tabernacle drunk with wine.  Having enough he demanded that she must have been drinking and to throw away her wine.

 “Oh no, sir!” she replied.  “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring my heart out to the LORD.” 1 Samuel 1:15 NLT

Hannah had plenty of reasons to wallow in gloom.  Unable to bear children and her husband’s  other wife was taunting her.  She shared some of her sadness with her husband but she knew only God could truly hear her pleas.  She got up from the dinner table and found a quiet place in the Tabernacle to begin spilling out everything within her that breathes.

Have you ever had a day like that?  A day where it seemed you could do no right?  A day when everything was falling apart?  Have you ever felt like you needed to spill out everything to God?

 The definition of prayer is a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.   It is simply talking things out honestly with God or maybe even writing them down. 

I confess that I have found that at times my prayers have been a list...a list of wants, needs, hurry up and do type things.  But when I pray, when I really pour myself out to God I learn that He is listening and planning out to lift me up.

Recently I was having one of those days.  Discouragement was my shadow that day and it didn’t seem to be moving away anytime soon.  I finally got to the point that I spilled it all out to God then said, “Please God can I have something to know that you really love me today?”  Not only did He show me once but three times within the hour that He loved me.  I know had I not spilled out everything within me that I would most likely not have been looking for His love.  Although I was still facing the same things He lifted me out of the discouraging moments. 

So have you spilled your very being to God?  He has a big shoulder and can handle it.  He’ll be there listening.  I promise!

1 comment:

  1. How often do we overlook that willingness to "show" us that He is there! Instead, we get cranky, depressed, and have a giant-sized pity party. Wow--think of all we miss!

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