There’s a strange thing many of us do when we pray. We change voices.
We can spend the entire day talking normally- to our spouse, our friends, our coworkers- and then the moment we begin talking to Jesus, something changes.
Our vocabulary gets religious and our sentences get longer.. we just don't talk like we normally do.
We start saying things we would never say in an ordinary conversation. It’s an odd phenomenon. I wonder though, if sometimes Jesus would rather just hear the authentic us.
Reverence isn’t wrong, of course. Jesus is Lord. He is King. He deserves honor, awe, and worship. But reverence and authenticity aren't opposites.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He specifically warned them against turning prayer into a performance: “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” -Matthew 6:7
Then He said something remarkable: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” -Matthew 6:8
Think about that... God already knows.
He knows what you're going to say. He knows what you're afraid to say and what you’re thinking. Even what you are weighting out in your mind, to say or not to say. He knows what you're trying to make sound better than it actually is.
So why the odd voice? Why pretend?
Prayer isn't giving God information, prayer is relationship.
Look at the Psalms. David didn't sanitize himself before approaching God: “Why, Lord, do you stand far off?” -Psalm 10:1
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” -Psalm 13:1
“Search me, God, and know my heart.” -Psalm 139:23
Those aren't polished religious performances; they're honest conversations with God.
And Jesus Himself even modeled deeply personal prayer in Gethsemane facing the cross. He prayed:
“Abba, Father… everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” -Mark 14:36
Abba. Father. That’s like saying, “Daddy, you can do anything...”
That is intimacy.
Maybe we're just so removed from the idea of who and what God is that we’ve just made things unnecessarily complicated. I think maybe sometimes we approach Jesus as though we need to sound spiritual enough to enter His presence.
But what if Jesus isn't waiting for your prayer voice, what if He simply wants your voice?
“Jesus, I'm exhausted.”
“Jesus, I'm angry about this.”
“I don't understand what You're doing.”
“I'm scared.”
“I really messed that up.”
“I don't feel close to You today.”
“Jesus, I don't even know what to say. I just wanted to be with You.”
Those may not sound impressive, but they're real. And they are honest. Jesus already knows the polished version isn't the whole story anyway. Hebrews says, “Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence.” -Hebrews 4:16
You don't have to approach pretending. You approach because Jesus made a way for you to come.
There will absolutely be moments for falling on your knees in reverence. There will be moments of passionate intercession, worship, thanksgiving, and awe. But there should also be room for sitting quietly and saying: “Jesus, can we talk?”
Maybe one of the greatest shifts in our prayer life happens when we stop trying to pray correctly or properly and start learning to talk honestly.
Jesus isn't impressed by the voice you use when you're trying to sound spiritual, He already knows your real voice. And He loves the person speaking it.
Next time you pray, just relax and be comfortable. Talk to Him like He's your best friend, because He is. He knows everything there is to know about you, and understands you deeply. Just take your day, your concerns, your doubts, your feelings, your fears... take it all to Him, just like you would your significant other. This might be the step you need to start leveling up in your prayer life!
~Devin
Devin Osborne
The Early Church
