“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 (NLT)

Conversations with God can look and sound different for everyone. I often find that I have knee-jerk reactions to just chat with God throughout my day. Sometimes it is just to say what is on my mind, and sometimes it is to plead for help in a situation that feels outside of my control. I’ve been trying to be more sincere in what I hope is more than just a season of gratitude. It is easy to go to God when we need help. But what about when He allowed us to hit a speedbump that helped curb our attitude or change our perspective?

Earnestness as a Default Setting

Many of my prayers list all of the obvious things I am thankful for without any of the detail of truth behind how I got to that place or that what I am thankful for is not what I was initially praying for. Then I realize that I am not praying in earnest or with any kind of vulnerability, which is ironic, because God already knows what really happened, where my thoughts really are, and whether or not I am truly grateful. Instead, my prayer now is God leads me to an unfiltered honesty in my prayers with Him whether I am alone or praying with others. God already knows our hearts. He knows the greed or disappointment we face. He knows our selfishness. If earnestness is our default setting, not only will we be more aware of who we are becoming, but others know how best to pray for us with authenticity as well.

Vulnerability in True Earnestness

With each new season of life, chapters end much differently than we expected them too, and many full of suffering and refinement. There are no secrets from God, so manipulative wording and self-aggrandizement are only masking the honesty for our own human desires. If we are vulnerable with one another in our prayers, the healing that can come may not simply be in an illness or relationship, but instead within ourselves as we harness God’s purpose for us when we are authentic. Vulnerability can be incredibly difficult, but if we cannot be bold enough to be earnest about our sins and the healing needed, then how can we expect to boldly step into the roles the Lord has for us?

Thankful Reverence in True Vulnerability

Thankful reverence begins when I stop trying to make my heart sound better than it is and thank God for meeting me there. Sometimes that means admitting I resented the very interruption He used to redirect me. Other times, it means confessing that I wanted His blessing without His correction. I can be grateful for His faithfulness while honestly acknowledging my disappointment. As we confess our sins and pray for one another, we make room for gratitude that reaches beyond comfortable outcomes. We can thank Him for the forgiveness, healing, and refinement we did not know how to ask for.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for knowing me fully and loving me through the places I would rather hide. Help me approach You with an earnest heart, confessing my sins without excuses and expressing gratitude without pretense. Give me humility to receive Your correction and courage to be vulnerable with those who will pray with me. Teach me to pray faithfully for others, receiving their honesty with grace. Help me recognize Your faithfulness and thank You for the ways You are shaping me, even when and especially when Your answers differ from my expectations. In Jesus’ name, amen.