The Inward Journey of Prayer
Descending into the Depths of Our Soul
The next set of modules take us into the “inward” journey of prayer.
The inward journey is not about escaping the world or our responsibilities; it’s about coming home to discover who we are and whose we are in relationship to our Maker and Redeemer. Richard Foster, in his classic Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, describes prayer as the heart’s true home. He writes, “We have been in a far country. It’s been a country of climb and push and shove. It’s been a country of noise and hurry and crowds.” Yet, God’s heart is an open wound of love, longing for us to return—not just with our words, but with our whole selves.
This journey is not a solitary trek into our own minds, but a movement through our deepest selves into God himself. Foster insists, “The journey is inward but not into our very selves but through our deepest selves into God himself.” The transformation comes as we surrender all—our strengths and weaknesses, our giftedness and our brokenness—at the altar of God’s love.
Think of prayer as the safest place to be your truest and rawest self. No masquerading. No false-pretense. This comes from the safety that comes from being rooted in the love of God (like Ephesians 3:17 reminds us). It might take a few minutes to settle in, as we subconsciously try to present a form of ourselves different from what is most true. But what if we truly descended inward in prayer with God? What would we find in those rarely explored caverns of ourselves? It might scare us to even contemplate such a thing! But we have no need to fear. Let us recall what the apostle John wrote…
1 John 4:13–18 (NLT) 13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
Breathtaking! Honestly, it is! If you aren’t saying “Amen!” then you might need to re-read and even make such verses the conversational topic of your next prayer! John is trying to show us that God’s love for us is sure and steady–it is proven by the giving of the Holy Spirit (God’s personal presence) who resides in us (verse 13).
Verse 18 states that God’s “perfect love expels all fear.” The Greek wording that translates “expels” is quite illustrative. It pushes and drives out fear. In this case, the “fear” in mind is the kind that causes someone to waver in his or her certainty of God’s steadfast love for them. John reminds us that God Himself has taken up residence in us by His Spirit, and that His presence in us is the evidence of His immeasurable love.
God’s love is not tentative, conditional, or fragile—it’s perfect. This perfect love is not an abstract thought but a living reality, proven at the cross and poured into our hearts.
God's love drives away fear—the fear that we might be rejected if we are too honest, or that God’s patience has a limit. When His love fills our inner life, it becomes the safest place to be completely real.
As we go deeper in the inward journey of prayer, we start by letting ourselves be seen in the raw daylight of His affection. We bring before Him not only our praises, but also our unprocessed grief, confusion, doubt, and even anger. We dare to say the unsaid, because perfect love leaves no room for the fear of His rejection.
When we trust that God’s love holds us even in our most unguarded moments, we begin to experience prayer not as a performance but as communion—a safe conversation with the One who knows and loves us completely.
Here is an illustration of what we are talking about.
Picture a pitcher of contaminated water. Then picture a faucet of pure water running above it–drenching the contaminated pitcher in an overflowing measure until all the impurities not only rise to the surface, but are expelled from the container! The pollutants are removed by the invasive and pervasive presence of the pure water infiltrating it until it has now become a pitcher of clean water.
This is a picture of what happens to our soul when we let the love of God “expel all fear.” We undergo a process (yes, a process) of allowing God’s perfect love to be near to our imperfect selves. Instead of guarding ourselves, we drop our weapons and disarm all defenses until we can sit in the dark places where the light of day has not been allowed to come. This… THIS is where transformation takes place!
The inward journey might not be the most enthralling part of the prayer pathway but it is absolutely essential in fostering authentic connection with God; and not only connection, but cleansing! Like the water analogy, God’s pure and perfect love will cleanse us as we are willing to go inward in prayer and let him near.
Try This
We have already mentioned how helpful it is to have a prayer journal. This week, identify an emotion, situation, or experience that is tucked inward and needs to be processed in prayer with God. Journal about it with the raw honesty that we are invited into. (Let Psalm 42 serve as a biblical example if you need one!). Allocate at least 20 minutes to be present in this practice. Try to discern God’s nearness and the ways he might comfort you or even speak to you. Be prepared for the emotions to come and also prepared that God’s presence might become sensory or visceral. That’s okay and welcome! The inward journey does not end with honesty, but with healing. The aim is to engage the inner places with God so that you become conscious to the ways he wants to heal your soul.
In the modules ahead, we’ll explore even more practical ways to cultivate this inward journey: how to practice honesty with God, how to invite Christ into your wounds, and how to let prayer transform not just your circumstances, but your very soul. The journey is inward, but its destination is nothing less than the loving, transforming presence of God himself.
So, take the journey, descend inward! You won’t have to invite God to follow you there–you’ll find He was already there, waiting for you–ready to bring light to the darkness and healing to the concealed parts of your storied soul.
Discuss
- When you think about prayer as “coming home” to God, what images or emotions come to mind for you?
- How did 1 John 4:13–18 minister to you, especially in pertains to the inward journey of prayer?
- 1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love expels all fear.” What fears in your life might God be inviting you to surrender to His love?
- The pitcher of water analogy shows God’s love washing away inner impurities. What “impurities” or inner walls have you sensed God working on in you lately?
- Reflect on an experience when God met you in your brokenness rather than in your strength. What does this teach you about the safety we have in coming to God?
- What is one practical step you will take this week to go deeper in honest, inward prayer?