Prayer for the dark places of the land

 

What percentage of our prayers reflect this level of desperate, corporate cry from the community?

How many of ours are sugar-coated and listless?

Do I dig deeply into my soul to pray with honesty?

Do I allow myself the passion of knowing and giving voice to my own pain and the pain of the people with whom I walk this planet?

We have permission to pray our hearts, emotions, and anger to God. He can sort it all out and replace our vindictiveness with compassion.

But if we try to hide our negative thoughts from God and ourselves, they will grow and fester as well as working themselves out in passive and active aggression. I do not believe the psalmist is praying the heart of God, but he is touching the heart of God with his own broken heart.

" Have regard for the covenant,

for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.

Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;

let the poor and needy praise your name."

(Psalm 74:20-21 ESV)