Who we Actually Are

We must pray who we actually are, not who we think we should be.  (Psalms: Prayers of the Heart, Eugene Peterson)

How many friendships do you have that require that you be who you are - not who you think you should be? That is a level of intimacy that we probably don't share with many people. It is a level of vulnerability that is hard to achieve, and it requires a deep trust.

Prayer, when it is authentic, demands this of us. Do we give it?

Do we filter what we pray so that our words, thoughts and requests reflect who we think God wants us to be instead of who we are? Do we pray our pain? Do we pray our hurt? Are we honest with God about our sin? 

Surely we don't hold back because we think God doesn't know who we are?

If we aren't honest in our prayers, is it because being honest and vulnerable before God means being honest with ourselves?

And maybe that is something we need to pray about.