17/01/2024
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRAYING FROM A PLACE OF PAIN AND PRAYING FROM A PLACE OF BITTERNESS
So many people are confused with the difference between praying for a place of pain and praying from a place of bitterness. They mistake bitterness with pain and then wonder why their prayers are not answered. Some even get bitter at God for not answering their bitter prayers. The Psalmist says only those who have clean hearts can ascend the Mountain of the Lord. In other words, we need to have pure hearts before praying to God. Why must we have a pure heart before we come to God? Some will ask; because our prayers are presented to God as a SWEET INCENSE. Every prayer you pray, is presented this way, whether it is warfare, intercession, worship or supplication. So if the prayer is from a place of bitterness, how can it become a sweet incense before God? From this we can deduce why worship is the greatest form of prayer; you can worship with bitterness in you, even though nothing is impossible with contemporary Christians. But lets keep that for another day.
But what does it mean to pray from a place of pain or from a place of bitterness?
I know you are eager to know this. The reality is that if you are praying from pain or from bitterness, you yourself will know. But I will give a few pointers for those who might not be fully aware.
Praying from a place of pain is the same as pouring our hearts to God. You get to the point when you know you can't do it all by yourself. You have struggled to do it to no avail, you are exhausted and just want God to do as he pleases. Like Carrie Wood said in her song, you tell Jesus to take the Wheel because you can't do it on your own. Praying from pain is praying at a point of total helplessness. I tears of our hearts pours down through our eyes. Even those that are the cause of your pains don't matter anymore, you just want God to take charge.
Hannah the mother of Samuel prayed this kind of prayer. She didn't come to God because of Penninah but it was all about her and God.
On the other hand, praying from the place of bitterness is praying accusative prayer. Either accusing God for what happened you you or accusing someone else. Whether the person has hurt you or not, as long as you are praying from that point of bitterness, be sure there will be no answer. Imagine if Hannah had gone complaining to God about Penninah or cursing her, she would have come to Shiloh till she dies still barren. It doesn't matter who hurts you, you MUST forgive before presenting the matter to God. Most Christians spent time cursing others in the name of prayer and wonder why their so-called enemies are flourishing why they are dieing in bitterness. As long as a person doesn't have any issues with you, whether he hurt you or not and he has not declared you and enemy, declaring him an enemy before God is a waste of time.
How can one come out of the place of bitterness?
First you have to acknowledge that God is the one in charge. He knows whatever happened and therefore let him take control. If he didn't want the thing to happen, it wouldn't have happened. Pick out the lessons from what happened and forget about the pains.
Secondly learn to forgive. We fall every day but it is the mercies of God that we are not consumed, so why fault others if we are not better. One of the biggest reason of bitterness is when we feel we are better than others. But know that whatever a person did to you, maybe you would have done it more to others if you were in his shoes. Always keep in mind that no matter who you are, you are not better than any other person.
Lastly everytime time you feel that bitterness, take the focus off yourself and present it to God. Think of his love and care, think of how faithful he has been, then your heart will be opened to worship him. JESUS SAYS CAST YOUR BURDEN ON ME AND TAKE MY REST
