Prayer Project 1

For class we had to take an hour out of our day and reflect upon these questions:

1. What is your current, functional (not theoretical) image of God?

2. How does this image compare to the God revealed in Jesus?

3. What distorted images of God have you overcome or are still struggling with?

4. Does your image of God lead you into a sense of being the beloved of God?

Here was my response:

This experience was really incredible this morning. I realized that my image of God is one of protection, love and acceptance. I can run to him and he can hold me. I may not understand how or why he loves me, but I can feel it. I experience God as people encountered Jesus in his day. He accepted people just as they were and so much loved radiated from him that people were instantly drawn to him. That's how I am with God. However, I haven't always viewed God like this. For a long time I saw him as an entity that would constantly drag me through hard times and somehow I was suppose to love him and respect him for that. I also realized how much of a disconnect there is between what people told me of God and who he really is. Whenever I experience God on a personal level it's an experience of love and acceptance. For whatever reason, people led me to believe that I had to perform for God and that I had to follow a list of do's and don'ts to get into his favor. This is a view that I still struggle with. I have a problem with what Christianity has become with it's ways and methods to be a "perfect Christian." I've been burned many times by this lie. I know and feel that God loves me and that I am his beloved ("David" actually means beloved). I still struggle with receiving love sometimes and I may never understand why he loves me, but I know he does. My heart just hurts for those still out there who think they must follow certain rules to have a relationship with God. God is love. And that's a message not often shared.