How Should We Pray? Immanuel Journaling Part 2 | February 9, 2023

Let’s reread part of the Scripture from yesterday:

Exodus 3:1-6

3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. ³ And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” ⁴ When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” ⁵ Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

* * * * *

Why was Moses afraid to look at God? Was he overwhelmed at the sight of a burning bush not burning up? Or the voice of God calling his name and speaking to him? Was he thinking about his past life as the Pharoah’s daughter’s son, that time when he killed an Egyptian? (Exodus 2:11-15) Was he ashamed and afraid God had come to punish him?  

Many times in Scripture, people are known to “hide their faces” from God because they are afraid or ashamed.

In the book, Joyful Journey, it says:

“God knows when we are unable to come to Him either because we are overwhelmed by our pain or because we are hiding from Him in fear. Just as He initiated the conversation with Adam and Eve when they were hiding, we believe that God approaches us, thus initiating our restoration because God is love.”

God’s character is love (1 John 4:8). And as we have learned this week, He delights in us! When we find ourselves overwhelmed and experiencing one of the 6 negative emotions—shame, fear, anger, disgust, despair, or sadness—we can process the emotion with God through the Immanuel Journaling prayer model.

Today, let’s practice again the prayer model of Immanuel Journaling to process a painful situation in your life.

Click Here for a full worksheet with detailed instructions.