READ: HEBREWS 2:17-18; 4:14-16, 1 PETER 5:7-10

God wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. Think about that. God tells us to spill out all our wants, needs, emotions, dreams, troubles, joys, and thoughts to Him. We might be tempted to think God only wants us to confess our sins, ask for direction, and thank Him for our blessings when we pray to Him. But that’s not the case. God offers Himself as a safe outlet where we can vent, cry, and be fully ourselves.

When we pour out our hearts to God, we don’t need to worry about Him telling others our dirty secrets or rolling His eyes because of our immaturity. He knows we’re fragile humans who struggle with life and don’t know how to act sometimes. And that doesn’t scare Him off. He wants to approach us for that very reason. He invites us to be totally honest about our struggles—this is one of the ways we can cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7).

As we pour out our hearts to God, we often find it gets easier to settle our minds and hear His voice. It isn’t good to bottle things up because the noise in our hearts becomes too much for us. But letting go of those things and telling them all to God not only brings relief, it opens the door of our hearts so we can more effectively listen to Him.

As we talk to God, it helps to remember that He knows what it’s like to be human. Jesus is both fully God and fully human, and He faced more than His fair share of hardships here on earth. And every time, He went straight to God the Father in prayer. Even while Jesus was dying on the cross for our sins, He continued to speak to the Father from the depths of His heart.

Whenever we start to feel the weight of the world, or we think we can never get through something, it’s time to take a step back and pour out our hearts to God. • Morgan A. Mitchell

• When you pray, what kinds of things do you tend to hold back? What do you avoid saying to God? Why do you think that might be?

• How do you think God feels when you share what’s on your heart with Him? Do you imagine He’s angry, annoyed, or disappointed—or do you picture Him responding with compassion, patience, and wisdom? Consider taking a moment to ask God to show you how He truly feels about you.

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 (NIV)