Going To God in a Bad Mood

I’m writing today’s devotional in a bad mood.

I woke up exhausted to the sound of crying from the 8-year-old which did not stop. She cried over cereal, she cried over her pants, she cried over EVERYTHING. My 6-year-old was in a bad mood because the 8-year-old kept trying to parent and then cried when he wouldn’t do what she wanted, and then cried when the teen called her a parent. The teen boy refused to wear his new jeans he got for his birthday so has been wearing the same pants for weeks. I was faced with a deep phobia of mine this am from something I read, and then I realized I have $5 in my pocket and my Mozambique Sponser child payment is over due AND my house is a dive AND I have 3 rounds of company showing up today AND my blog photos will not load properly!

BLERG BLERG BLERG.

I’m writing today’s devotional in a bad mood. I’m scarfing down a healthy breakfast smoothy and I am going to go for a run to run off some of my stress, and I’m going to crank up my worship music and praise the Lord anyway!

I am sure Jesus woke up in a bad mood from time to time. I am sure that worries and stresses challenged his humanity, but Jesus always knew how to turn to God. He didn’t have to wait for his bad mood to dissipate, or pull himself together to speak to his father, Jesus knew that if we humble ourselves before the Lord (which means to come as you are not build yourself up before we go to him) he will lift us up – James 4:10.

We avoid spending time in God’s presence because we feel that we have to clean house before he gets here. It is seriously like cleaning like mad before the maid comes.

This is offensive to God, because he wants all of us. He wants our hearts, our minds and our bad moods too. It’s okay to be in a bad mood in prayer. It’s okay to vent before the Lord. It’s okay to whine even and scream in your pillow.

However, there is power in praising God. When we praise him anyway, he turns our mourning into dancing and replaces our robes of despair into a garment of praise.

– provide for those who grieve in Zion– to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendour. Isaiah 61:3

Even when you come to God in a bad mood, he still sees you as righteousness and desires to lift you up.

So, I’m off for my morning run, or should I say mourning run?

I’m going to pump up the worship music and praise God anyway (after a little pouting and venting).

GO to God in any mind frame, at any time, and anywhere.