Tuesday, December 16, 2008

angry prayers

do you ever get angry praying?

i reckon Job got a bit fiery. Jeremiah wasn't always heaps relaxed. David didn't take it lying down.

i get the voice of the martyrs feed and, honestly, it makes me angry. why does God not intervene?

you get headlines like
  • CHINA: Officials Reach Out to House Churches; Raids, Arrests Continue;
  • BANGLADESH: Christian Family Beaten, Cut - and Face Charges;
  • COMOROS: Christians Oppressed on Pemba Islands;
  • and that's just the last week.

    this happens all the time, all over the world. and i know that despite the abhorrent evil of these deeds God can and will work good. and i pray that the people who commit these horrors would repent and would know the forgiveness available in Christ.

    but most of all i just wish they would stop.

    4 comments:

    Mark said...

    Anger isn't essentially a bad thing. In fact in Ephesians 4:26-27 we're pretty much commanded to 'be angry'. The issue is whether our anger leads us to sin and (via the devil) away from God. So if your anger leads you to God in genuine prayer (not just bitterness or fist-shaking) than surely that's a good start.

    Mark said...

    Have you ever watched 'the Apostle', the scene where Robert Duvall's character is angry at God, because his wife runs off with the youth pastor? It's quite fascinating because (from memory) its very much like a Psalm in its movement:

    anger -> pleading -> trust -> hope/rejoicing (?)

    Anonymous said...

    Mm... I was going to say .. often these things make us angry and we don't pray... It would be good if everytime we read these atrocities we did pray and implore God to intervene/ change them and stop them!

    Heard you were here Sun morning! :) Hope you're well!! Miss ya!

    Dave C said...

    Pray angry. When faced with injustice, pray angry. When you observe persecution and are in no position to do anything else, pray angry.
    Why would one wish to hide the true state of your heart from God while praying? Have a quick read of the opening of 1 Samuel and see Hannah praying from "the bitterness of her soul" because of barrenness.
    Sometimes, if you don't pray angry, you end up not praying...