How To Pray When You Feel Like A Hypocrite

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This is the Truth Network. Encouraging prayer. God offers an open invitation for His people to talk with Him at any time about anything. On Encouraging Prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the bestselling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray. And now, here's James. So today on Encouraging Prayer, we're going to talk about how to pray when you feel like a hypocrite. So James, how did you become an expert on this?

James Banks Well, funny you should ask, Robby. But I am one. And I hope you are too, in a manner of speaking. I mean, the truth is that we don't all recognize we're sometimes inconsistent in our walk with Jesus, then something's off. Because we're all sinners saved by grace. And if we ever lose sight of that, man, that's never a good thing, you know? Oh, I gotcha.

And I once heard it said every once in a while we need to get a good smell of our inner cesspool. So when we talk about how to pray in those times, when you feel either like you've been inconsistent in your faith or when you're, you know, you're just not feeling very spiritual. Yeah, that's right.

That's right. I mean, we all have those times when we wonder, how can God love us? And the truth is that often when we've sinned, even if we've repented and asked God for forgiveness, it's like the devil won't leave us alone. And he keeps bringing those places where we've messed up into our mind so that we focus on them, right? And not on the wonderful God who saves us and sets us free.

And it's hard to move forward when you're thinking like that. So if you've already asked God for forgiveness, the best place to start is by thanking God for everything he's done. Ruth Bell Graham called this the missing ingredients in her prayers at times, especially when she was worried. And it's right out of Philippians 4, 6, and 7. Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, you know, present your request to God, the peace of God surpasses all understanding. We'll keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

But that short phrase with thanksgiving is the key one for her. It's a great one to write down and just keep calling to mind because our God is so good and we can never forget that. And it helps us when we thank him. So what about those other times, those times when you're just not feeling it, right? And then you can think that, you know, how can I tell God I love him and be real when I'm not necessarily feeling that? Yeah, oh man, that's such a good question. And the answer is even better, I think, because honestly, I think it's at times like that when we're most honest with God that he values our prayers most of all.

I mean, just think about it this way. When you're a parent, you know, you can tell sometimes when your kid is telling you what he thinks you want to hear, especially if you're talking about a problem that, you know, you need to talk about. And what you really want to hear is truth because you want your child to be open and honest with you, right? Oh, that's so true. And if we can't talk to God that way, really, really something's not right. So what you're saying is God reads us like a book.

In fact, I think he's got one on us. He knows us completely anyhow, right? So, you know, just tell him what's going on.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, for example, let's say you're in worship and the song is saying, oh Lord, I love you. You're my everything, you know, as the hymns sometimes say, but you're not really feeling that way if you're honest. And you know that's not right to say that to God if that's not how you're thinking. And you don't want to be a hypocrite, so what do you do? Well, you just tell Jesus, you say something like, Lord, help me to love you more.

Help me to feel your love more deeply inside because I really do love you, but I'm struggling right now. I think God loves that kind of praying. Wow, that is encouraging. Well, it is because the thing you don't want to do is stop praying at a time like that, right?

Which is often kind of, you know, our default action. And I like what Steve Brown, the seminary professor and broadcaster said about this. He said, I can understand how you can sometimes not feel very spiritual.

I can understand not loving God very much sometimes. And he goes on to say how, you know, sometimes he wrestles with that. And he says, if I can understand that, I'm sure that you can, that God can too.

And he loves you a lot more than I do. That's right. I mean, that's really awesome, isn't it? Yeah.

I mean, again, God gets us right where we are. So just be honest. And it helps so much to remember that. You know, the other day I was reading something else Brown Brown wrote. He basically said, well, I'm one of God's favorites. And you read that and you think, huh? And then he goes on, basically, that shouldn't surprise you because you should feel the same way.

His grace is so good. That's how it makes us feel when we really understand it, you know. And that's true because it's so personal. It's meant just for you, just the way God made you. And when you receive it and get that sense that Jesus really loves me, you know, you feel two things.

First, that you don't deserve it. And second, that because he is so good and it is meant for you, that you really are his favorite. You can't help feeling that way. And we need to remind ourselves of that, especially when we're so busy and caught up in everyday life, that we lose sight of what's really lasting and what matters most of all. Darrell Bock Yeah, I think that's why we can sometimes feel like hypocrites, because we get so involved with the day-to-day things that we really lose our focus and drift.

Robert Chisholm Yeah, I agree. And we don't mean to compartmentalize our lives, you know, where God only fits in certain parts. But the remedy is to say, I don't like it like this, Lord. I want you in everything, you know, please help me out of this drift, you know, and giving in those places where you're like, holding back. Darrell Bock Sounds kind of like, you know, deliver us from evil.

Robert Chisholm Well, exactly. And, you know, don't doubt that so often evil comes in, in those places. And that's why we're on solid biblical ground here. You see, the thing about hypocrites is, ultimately, they don't let God in, you know, they may sound good, but then there's this disconnect. And while we all have those places, when we let God into them, he'll fill up that space with himself, with his spirit. And that's what we really want. Darrell Bock Yeah, like Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians, you know, we have this treasure in jars of clay.

I'm a crackpot, right? Robert Chisholm Yeah, that's exactly it. And the more we let him in, the more he shines through, even us.

So keep running to him, no matter what you may feel like in the moment, because as you do, you'll find he's closer than you ever knew. Darrell Bock Oh, he really is that good. Better than we know, really, James. So how would you pray to wrap things up today?

Robert Chisholm Well, let's just go. Father, you know, you know exactly where we are. And we praise you that you came to save us there. Thank you for your son, for your spirit. And Lord, help us to let you in every part of our lives, because you really are so good. We worship you in Jesus' name. Amen. Darrell Bock Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.