Telling God How We Really Feel
Month 8: Talking with God — The Praying Family · Heart Matters
Today's Scripture
Read together: Psalm 42:5,11
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence. … 11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Memory Verse
“O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.”— Psalm 95:6 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Jeremiah 35–37
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
Here is something that surprises a lot of people. It's right there in the Bible for a worshiper to be sad. The writer of asks his own heart an honest question. He says, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me?" He isn't pretending to be fine. He feels downcast and stirred up inside. And instead of hiding it from God, he says it to God. That's a holy thing to do. God already knows everything in our hearts. So we never have to clean ourselves up before we talk to Him. We can tell Him the worried, angry, lonely, or disappointed truth, just as the psalmist did.
But watch what he does next, because this is the heart of it. He says, "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him." He doesn't just dump his feelings and stay stuck there. He preaches to himself. He reminds his own sad heart who God is. And he chooses to put his hope in Him. That's the difference between just venting and truly praying. We bring God the real us. Then we let the truth about God talk back to our feelings. Feelings are real, but they aren't always right. God's faithfulness is the deeper, steadier truth. A trusting heart tells God everything. Then it preaches God's goodness back to itself, until hope rises again.
Around the Table
When you feel sad or scared, you can tell God! He's never too busy and He always understands.
Let's do it: Make a sad face, then tell God one thing that makes you sad. Then say, "But God, I trust You!"
The psalmist was sad, so he told God. Then he reminded himself, "Put your hope in God!" We can do both.
Let's talk: What's the difference between just complaining about a bad day and praying about it?
The psalmist talks to his own soul. He says, "Why are you downcast? Put your hope in God." Feelings are real, but they aren't always right.
Let's go deeper: Can you think of a time your feelings told you a lie about God or yourself? What truth could you preach back to your heart?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's one feeling that's hard to admit out loud? Maybe it's sad, jealous, scared, or mad. Did you know you can bring that exact feeling to God?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some think Christianity is just "put on a happy face." But the Bible is full of honest grief, doubt, and hard questions brought straight to God. is one example. A faith that has room for tears and honest questions is a faith strong enough to be true. And we can say so with gentleness ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Boys and girls learn what to do with big emotions largely by watching the adults around them. If your children only ever see you stuff feelings down or blow up, they'll assume those are the only two options. offers a third, godlier way: take it to God, and then talk truth to your own heart. Let your kids occasionally hear you pray honestly. You might say, "Lord, I'm worn out and discouraged today, but I'm choosing to hope in You." That kind of out-loud, honest-but-trusting prayer disciples them more than a dozen lectures on emotions. It tells them that following Jesus isn't about faking fine. It's about bringing the real you to a God who can be trusted with all of it.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, Parenting.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that we can tell You exactly how we feel, even the hard feelings, and You still love us. When our hearts are heavy, help us hope in You and remember how good You are. In Jesus' name, amen."
I can tell God how I really feel, and then preach His goodness back to my own heart.