First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for Kings and all who are in high positions. – 1 Timothy 2:1-2
How is your prayer life? Martin Luther, in a letter to his barber in the spring of 1535, offered this; “I will tell you as best I can how I approach prayer, and may our dear Lord grant to you and to everybody, to do it better than I.” Evidently, you are in good company if you find prayer to be challenging at times!
Jesus prayed a lot, and He had much to say about it. Before His famous example, the Lord’s Prayer, He shared with His disciples the secret of talking to God. Basically, He said, “keep it real.” He challenged them not to use fancy, meaningless words or act overly pious. He urged them to merely go off by themselves, as He did, and be honest.
For some, raw honesty with God may feel irreverent or sacrilegious. The reality is, while God already knows what is going on, He is still interested in hearing about it from you! If you want a good example of real people praying real prayers, read the entire book of Psalms. You will find a very human honesty there. Christ Jesus, deep in His human suffering, uttered the words “take this cup from me” before He came to the phrase “not my will but thy will be done.”
Today, it may be hard to pray for people you do not particularly like or agree with. Regardless of disappointing political and cultural events, pray anyway. Simply tell God what is in your heart and mind.
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