with us
I hear it a lot, and maybe I’ve said it myself, “God be with us…” I can honor and appreciate the heart behind these words. But words themselves matter. And a true understanding helps us so much to have greater security and peace in uncertainty.
Friends, we don’t have to ask God to be with us. One of His very names means “God with us.” He came near. He comes near. He is not far off.
He is not far from any one of us (Acts 17:27). He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). He is near when we pray (Deuteronomy 4:7). There is no where we can go that is away from His Spirit (Psalm 139:6-7).
There are certainly times when we pray things that are not true, especially as we pour our hearts out in times of grief, lament, anger. It seems often the point of these prayers is honesty and naming so we don’t withhold, repress and pretend.
And there are times when it is orienting to use the words of others to pray even if the words aren’t how we would typically say things but it helps give voice to things we haven’t been able to express otherwise. Or praying the words of others can help us to know we’re not alone in our struggles; that others experience them too.
But maybe, just maybe, instead of praying “God be with us” out of habit, other prayers that might be more effective at expressing what our hearts are really needing might be things like…
Why do You feel so far away?
Why do I feel alone?
If you’re able, why don’t You…?
I have been running from You and I am turning back…
Forgive me for ______.
If You aren’t leading me into ______, then I don’t want to go.
I need wisdom for today…
Show me what I should do today…
Fill me fresh with the Holy Spirit today…
Help me to be aware of Your nearness and Your presence today.
Thank You that you are near.
Thank You that there is nowhere I can hide from Your presence.
Help me be aware of your comforting presence where I am brokenhearted in this way…
And if you still pray “God be with us”, it’s really OK. God sees our hearts and He knows what we mean. But let’s not be afraid of telling Him what we’re really thinking. Even the most mundane of “food prayers” can be transformed into honest conversation.
After all we’ve done and thought and said, God is with us. God is with us.