I don’t know about you but I’m 100% guilty of humanizing God. I tend to think of Him in the same way that I think of myself or any other person… That He keeps records of our behaviors and rewards (or punishes) us accordingly… That He holds grudges or is stubborn toward us… That He withholds things because there’s only so much of it to go around.
I sometimes forget that we can’t comprehend how much love God has for us and how much He wants the best for us. I forget that we aren’t meant to struggle our entire lives (maybe for a season here or there) and that God wants us to have life and to have it abundantly.
My tendency to humanize God has affected my prayer life.
I have to be honest with myself and acknowledge that though I may not want to admit or even believe it, there is some type of fear at the root of why I’m not praying for those things that I need and want. I’ve been reflecting on this whole situation and I’m starting to think that the type of fear that I’m working with is the fear of rejection.
We fear rejection in our natural lives therefore it isn’t strange to experience that same feeling in our spiritual lives. We’re only human so it can be difficult to separate our human nature and way of thinking from what we know to be true about God. In my case, not asking for something is sometimes easier than dealing with the possibility of getting my hopes up and not getting what I’ve asked for. It’s weird because it’s not all about the “no.” A no from God is not rejection. It is either protection, redirection or both. The fear of rejection after prayer, for me, is about accepting the fact that whatever I prayed for is not for me at that moment in time.
I use a journal to write down my prayers and praises and I’m proud to say that I’ve been practicing praying boldly. Whenever I go to God these days, I remember Matthew 7:7-8. Whatever we ask for, we will receive. That’s what the Bible says so it must be true, right? The verse doesn’t specify that we’ll receive it in the way we want or think, it just says that we’ll receive it.
I struggle with this because I’ve seen firsthand people repeatedly not getting what they’ve prayed for. Whether it be for a baby, a career or even basic needs. That’s the part that makes me not pray for what I want because I don’t want to accept that I won’t get it. Bible pros…people with experience…help a sister wrap her head around this one!
I think that if we (I’m really talking to myself) practice praying boldly and work on building our faith, the fear of rejection will slowly dissipate. What do you think?
I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments section. Do you practice praying boldly for what you want? Is there something you need or want but haven’t asked God for yet? Why not? Let’s hear it!
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