Pray naked!

March 8, 2010
Huh? & Leadership Clip to Evernote
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Screen shot 2010-03-20 at 10.24.18 AM

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Hebrews 4.13 (NLT)

Have you ever tried to hide something from God? Seriously? I know I have, well not intentionally, like not thinking God knew, but more like, "If I don’t talk about it, He will forget about it." Well, we all know that just doesn’t work. I was at a conference this past weekend, and something came to me. I need to be fully exposed to God @ all times, especially in my prayer time. Fully exposed, or "naked" as the writer of Hebrews put it! Not hiding anything, just put it all on the table with God. All my frustrations, expectations, or disappointments. But more importantly, my dreams, my desires & visions. Just like Ps. 37 says, if I "delight myself in the Lord, He will give me the desires of my heart."

Hope you understand that principle. Delighting in the Lord comes before your desires! I have learned, I can’t really delight in the Lord, until I get all the "junk" out. I have to talk to God about all the stuff that is messing with me, then I feel cleaned up, confessed up, and open to God. I become truly "naked" before Him, in all purity, and He is delighted to see me that way! WOW! Who would have ever thought being fully exposed before God would bring such great benefits!

Go ahead and try it! Go before God, hold nothing back, you can’t scare or surprise Him. He would love to see you pray naked!

About artie: I'm the lead Pastor at Cornerstone, a Multi-Ethnic church in the heart of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Also the founder of the Comb Network.com, a movement to plant Multi-Ethnic, culturally relevant churches in smaller cities. I direct a gathering of small city leader called "The Sticks."

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  • Debbie Mast

    There’s a good truth…why do we even consider NOT baring it all before The One who created us-as tho He doesn’t know our hearts, anyway?! It’s not as if He doesn’t know all our "junk" to begin with! He just wants us to give it to Him straight-we owe Him that respect.
    Thanks for keeping the good stuff coming!

    • http://artiedavis.com artie

      I think for me, honestly it’s fear. But, I have learned to work through most of that, and I’m starting to see God move in ways I never thought imaginable!

  • http://klskorner.blogspot.com Kathy S.

    Thanks for this reminder that laying it all before God is really for our benefit – not God’s! Like you said He knows it all anyway. We need to acknowledge it in order to allow Him to help us deal with it

    • http://artiedavis.com artie

      Thanks Kathy. Great insight. I appreciate your comment!

  • http://twitter.com/IchewonScriptur Carl

    James 5:16 is develops nakedness when practicing w/ an accountbility partner, a REAL one you allow to slay u in love.

  • Scott

    Great reminder! Was just praying about God giving us the desires of our heart and how He places those desires there in the first place. Thanks for sharing.