Processing With God: A Devotional
If God knows all things, why not talk to Him about every detail of life?
David was an emotional but godly man; the Psalms show us many of the prayers he prayed and the praises he offered to the LORD. He was not perfect by any means, but David’s prayer life was vulnerable and honest. He brought everything before God—even to the point of expressing his emotions regarding the God to whom he was praying.
Psalm 13 is an example of David being honest with God about feeling like the LORD left him alone, but it ends with a remembrance of who God is and what He has promised. Psalms 10, 22, 31, and 55 are a few more that have an incredible mix of David’s raw emotion and what he knows of his God.
The Psalms are filled with instances when David’s circumstances are terrible and depressing. However, the book is equally charged with praises to the LORD and reminders of His character and past actions. Remembering what God has promised is critical to prayer because that is where hope comes from. If anxiety is great, seeking His comfort and remembering that He is in control can turn worry into joy (Psalm 94:19). If emotions are raging, the Spirit provides peace and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). If everything is going well and joy is abundant, remember it came from above (James 1:17).
As the One who Created you, He already knows everything about you and your life, so nothing can be hidden. If He already knows, why not process it with Him? If He already knows, why not bring every emotion and fear to surrender to Him? Since He already knows, He is the best being to handle anything you could ever bring because He understands you better than any human can imagine. David demonstrated this kind of trust and vulnerability in the Psalms, and recalling God’s character helped him to praise in the chaos.
So often we turn to people before we turn to God to solve problems, get support, find love and security, or process everything thrown at us. Seeking Christ first is easier said than done, but it is the best thing we could ever do. Jesus offers so much peace, strength, and freedom, offering to take the things that weigh us down and be our refuge, rest, and comfort (Matthew 11:28 and Psalm 94:19).
When we pray and process with God, we grow closer to Him and experience the peace of a mind ruled by the Holy Spirit, as Paul talks about in Romans 8:6. Also in Romans 8 is the promise of the Spirit interceding if we do not know what to pray; which is something that can happen when emotions and burdens are overwhelming. It is so freeing to know that the One who Created the universe has knowledge of every little detail about our lives and wants to strengthen us in our weaknesses. He is faithful and fulfills His promises, so you can trust that if you bring your burdens to Him, He will help you in the way that He knows is best.
I challenge you to try praying like David and watch as God transforms how you function. Read through the Psalms above to get a better look at what prayer can look like, then start by talking to God about all the things before you talk to another person. You can bring prayers to the LORD anytime, anywhere. You could also start a prayer journal, go on a walk or drive and pray, or find another time and place where you can focus and process with God. During your prayers, do not forget to dwell on who He is and what He has done. Either start small or go all in, whichever the Holy Spirit leads you to do, but do not neglect talking with your Creator.