In any relationship that is real and deep, honesty is a key element. When we begin to hide our feelings, especially our negative feelings, from another person, say a spouse or close friend, it's a sign that the relationship is becoming more distant. This is also true in our relationship with God.

Because God is high and holy, and because we are told that we must always please God, there is a tendency to keep our prayers on a impersonal level. We tend not to speak to God about how we really feel. Now that's silly of course, because God knows how we feel anyway. Still, it seems somehow unspiritual to dump all of our real thoughts and feelings on God.

However, Scripture clearly teaches us that prayer demands utter honesty. In the last session we saw this in Jesus' own prayers, especially during his time of suffering, passion, and death. But we also find other examples of this throughout the Bible.

Notice how Elijah spoke to God in the Old Testament. After the high moment of truth on Mount Carmel, he felt that nothing had really changed. Jezebel and the prophets of Baal were still in control, and his life was in danger. He became depressed and even suicidal. He prayed that he might die. "Take my life," he pleaded, "I am no better than my ancestors." In response to this prayer of despair, God sent an angel to minister to him and eventually spoke to him on Mount Horeb.

If there's anywhere in the Bible where raw emotions are expressed in prayer, it's in the Psalms. Page through them, and alongside praise and thanksgiving, you will find prayers of doubt, fear, anger, hatred, revenge, and despair. In Psalm 88 the psalmist is so depressed that the last words are: "darkness is my closest friend" (v. 18).

It's important to keep in mind that these troubling expressions of fearful and dangerous emotions are right there in God's inspired Word. That means that God truly encourages and even expects us to pray all our emotions to him, no matter how dark they are.

Some of the most troubling of the Psalms express feelings toward one's enemies that feel exactly contrary to what God wants of us. The psalmists pray their hatred of enemies, asking God to destroy them. (See especially Psalm 137: 9 for the most graphic of these.) How does that fit in with Jesus' command to love our enemies?

The fact is, no matter how much we ought to feel love, we often instead feel fear and anger. We can't deny it. What do we do with these terrible feelings? Hide them? Deny them? No, the Bible tells us to pray them. Open your heart to God with all that's there---the good and bad feelings. Why? Because when we hide our emotions from God we are more likely to be consumed by them or act on them. When we entrust God with our darkest emotions, we lay them in God's "lap." They are no longer ours to act on, but God's.

At the same time, letting God in on our negative emotions means that God helps us carry them. The psalmist says, "Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll...." (Ps. 56: 8). Like a close friend, when we share these burdens with the God of the universe, we have a sympathetic ear in heaven, one who can deal with our problems and manage our enemies.