Bat Cave : Pour

There's a common misconception in church going people's minds that one has to pray with big words and flowery speeches. You have to sound fancy for those around you. More and more as I study scripture I find that God wants our honesty. If you read Psalms you find David and the other writers to be some of the most brutally honest people ever. I came across this verse and it stopped me and the more I read it the more I love it. Psalm 62:8 "O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge." The sentence and thought structure are just WOW! David found who to turn to and begs his people to do the same. We are called to trust. That phrase "Pour out your heart to Him" it's packed with vulnerability because to pour out something you empty the container you're pouring from. Until you admit you can't do it alone you're not really honest with God. It's hard to admit you even need Him to be your refuge when you won't face the fact that you need help. There's surrender in this verse. A few years back Christian musician Margaret Becker sang this song and the words get the part about being honest with God that I'm referring to. "You may feel like you're crawling, over broken glass Crying a river into the pillows of your past. But you will be free, yeah. Oh, God's not afraid of your honesty. He can heal your heart if you speak honestly. Humble sorrow and the honest cry He will not pass by." In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells a story about the tax collector and the Pharisee. The Pharisee prayed a high and lofty prayer and compared himself to others but the tax collector was honest. "O, God be merciful to me, for I am a sinner." He poured his heart out to God and was vulnerable and honest. In Romans 8:15 we as Christians are given a name for God of Abba, Father. As our Father we approach him with the ability to pour our hearts out to Him and He becomes our refuge. Another way to think of this would be. If you had a good earthly father and someone caused you trouble you knew if you ran to dad he's going to do everything in his power to take care of his child. We have that in God!

Honesty -- Margaret Becker