God invites honestly from his friends. We can be – must be – transparent. And God not only tolerates us shooting straight, he honors it. When we know where we stand with him – as intimate friends – we can bring all our pains, sorrows, troubles, desires and passions. Friendship welcomes truth. As God’s friends we can pray without reserve. David understood this. Here are verses 2-4 from Psalm 143, one of David’s many “honest-to-God” lyrics.

Don’t put your servant on trial,
      for no one is innocent before you.
My enemy has chased me.
      He has knocked me to the ground
      and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave.
I am losing all hope;
      I am paralyzed with fear.

Take a bold step in prayer today. Lay out the honest problems, in all their ugly detail. Your friendship with God allows you this honor. Like David, you may feel like you are “losing all hope.” You may be “paralyzed with fear.” Say so! Tell God. He’s your friend! And he’s a friend who can do something about it.