Honest Conversations With God

Do you ever have really honest conversations with God?  

A few weeks ago, as I was cooking dinner, my prayer went a little something like this:  

“God, I know what I want to do, but I know that’s not what You want me to do. But I still want it. I don’t know what Your plan is, but I think that my plan is pretty great. I don’t want to submit, but I will. As You speak and lead, please give me the courage and humility to follow… even though I really don’t want to.”  

Honest Conversations With God

This particular prayer was about my most recent devotional, which I just released into the world—two months before I had planned to. I had a plan that I was going to follow, and I was ready to make this the best launch yet. I was determined to follow each step and use all I have learned over the past few years to strategically bring this book into the world. But the longer I prayed about this and worked through my launch plan, the more I felt God whispering that we were going to do something different this time. He was telling me to throw my plan out the window and just trust Him—something I was pretty apprehensive about. 

Do you ever have really candid conversations with God?  Candid Gal, Sarah Callen does. Join her to find out just how honest we can be with God. Click To Tweet

Sarah’s Candid Confession

Honestly, I’ve been arguing with God a lot lately. But after many exchanges where I’ve wanted to follow my plan instead of His, I now realize how grateful I am for the opportunity and desire to speak with God.  

For years, I wanted nothing to do with God. I didn’t know much about Him, but I saw Him as a mean dictator who longed to put an end to all my fun. My whole paradigm changed when I accepted Christ, but part of me still wondered if I would be accepted by Him if I were honest with Him. Could He really love me if I shared my fears and my insecurities? What about my hurts or my anger? While I would, in public, say the church-approved “of course!” I didn’t actually live like it. I continued to hide behind a “perfect” facade with others and God.  

Yet, He continued to draw me to Himself, loving me even when I was hiding from Him and others.  

Even after I became a Christian, there were times where I wouldn’t consult God on decisions. I did what I wanted and wasn’t always willing to ask for His input on things. But over the years, I’ve grown to crave His input and seek His will even when it’s contrary to my own. It can be hard to lay down my desires and what I think is “right” or “best” in favor of what God says, especially when His instructions are as vague as “trust me.”  

Even in the hazy and vague instructions, I am reminded of God’s goodness. Throughout the Bible and in my life, He has proved Himself good, faithful, and trustworthy. Even when I didn’t want to obey, but did anyway, I’ve come to see that His plan is better. When I have chosen my own way instead of His, I have experienced how my choices paled in comparison. He is worthy of my trust, even when I don’t want to. 

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Honest Conversations in the Bible

There are many Bible stories where people had frank, honest conversations with God.

• Jonah pitched a fit and let God know his displeasure at what the Lord was trying to do in the world and his heart.
• David cried out to God in both good times and bad, venting to God when he needed.
• The disciples were a bit of a mess and often flew off the handle, even in their prayers and preaching.

This all means that we’re in good company. We can have honest conversations with God, expressing the good, bad, and ugly within us to Him, knowing that we are still His beloved children. And, when He tells us to ditch our plans to trust Him, we can do so, knowing that He has a long track record of faithfulness and goodness.  

"We can have honest conversations with God, expressing the good, bad, and ugly within us to Him, knowing that we are still His beloved children." Click To Tweet

I am grateful that we don’t have to walk on eggshells or use a script when it comes to speaking with God. We can candidly express our fears, worries, emotions, anxieties, hurts, and more in His presence. He lends us a safe ear and a sturdy shoulder to cry on; let’s come to Him today!  

Join the Honest Conversation

Do you feel like you need to walk on eggshells and make your prayers pretty, or do you have honest conversations with Jesus? Join the conversation in the comments below.

Do you feel like you need to walk on eggshells and make your prayers pretty, or do you have honest conversations with Jesus? Click To Tweet