Pour Out Your Hearts Before God

Honesty is Hard

How do you typically answer when someone asks you “How are you doing?”

Good, alright, better than I deserve...

Or do you answer how you are really doing?

Most of us don’t answer honestly do we.

Not because we are intentionally lying, but we just don’t want to complain, or don’t see the need to burden someone else with our problems.

Society kind of says “fake it, don’t let others see you don’t have it together.”

Is that how you talk to God?

With pretty, polite, or maybe even scripted prayers (thank you for all the good, be with all the bad…)

Lamentation 2

The tone of this chapter is kind of all over the board isn’t it.

He is angry and distressed

Lamentations 2:5 NIV

5 The Lord is like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds. He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for Daughter Judah.

He is sad and confused

Lamentations 2:11 NIV

11 My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

He is somber and honest with the situation

Lamentations 2:17 ESV

17 The Lord has done what he purposed; he has carried out his word, which he commanded long ago; he has thrown down without pity; he has made the enemy rejoice over you and exalted the might of your foes.

Quite the range of emotion huh?

But there is honesty in how he prays.

Pour Our Your Heart

Now pay close attention to 2:19

Lamentations 2:19 NIV

19 Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner.

What would it look like to pour out your heart like water?

Wouldn’t it mean you would just be really real with God in all that is going on in your heart right now.

Are you mad, sad, confused?

Are you frustrated with someone or with a situation?

Are you excited, nervous, anxious, hopeful?

What would that look like for you?

Raw emotion, honesty, and realness.

The cool thing is that we are told in the New Testament that God listens to all of our prayers.

1 John 5:14–15 NIV

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

God hears because God cares.

Even when life seems too much to handle or that God is somehow absent, the truth is, He is not

He care and He is listening to EVERYTHING that is on our hearts

The key is for us to also listen to Him

Take it Home

My challenge to you:

“Think about your current season of life. Are things generally going well, or are there some hardships in your life currently? Spend time this week, even tonight, talking to God about whatever came to mind. Be honest with Him.”