Petition to nuance Teh Discourse by recognizing that public intercession is different from private prayer?

Public intercession, among other things, is about proclaiming what we value & believe. In TEC, where structural authority is valued, we pray for gov’t leaders by name.

I think that’s great. Especially when I’m ready to throw out the entire festering mass as a boil on the face of humanity, it’s good to remember that my cynicism does not necessarily serve truth, & to ponder the relation between roles of authority & individuals in those roles.

Private prayer, though: it works better when you ask God for what you *actually* want, not what you think you *should* want.

What if you want something that scares you? What if your secret desires are so far away from your values that you feel split & ashamed?

Keep praying!

Pray for your terrible desire, and also pray for what you value. Live in the distance between them, and pray also for what God desires for you.

Your murderous rage does not scare God. Your envy, your pettiness, the anger that seems to swallow you whole: God knows it already.

But when you hold it in prayer, God works on your heart. When you give God the desire that scares you, you are freed from having to hold it alone.

The miracle of prayer: the slow alignment of our desires to the justice and mercy of God.

This tweet thread brought to you by psychoanalysis, which is another form of prayer