The Power of Petty Prayers

Read by the author.

You have forgiven them. But you're still angry. You still replay what happened, imagine what you should have said, and want them to face consequences for what they did.

That does not mean your decision to forgive was insincere. It means the anger that remains still needs somewhere faithful to go.

You may have tried to "give it to God." You may have prayed gracious, carefully edited prayers while privately wanting to confront them, expose them, punish them, or finally get the last word. But when you leave those feelings out of prayer, you may be withholding the very burden you need God to carry.

In The Power of Petty Prayers, Nona Jones—author of The Gift of Rejection—shows you what to do with the thoughts and emotions you are afraid to admit to God. Drawing from David's raw, justice-seeking prayers in the Psalms, Nona introduces a bold, biblical way to bring God your anger, resentment, and desire for vindication.

These "petty prayers" are not permission to retaliate. They are how you place the desire to retaliate into God's hands. Instead of suppressing your anger or acting on it, you can tell God the uncensored truth and entrust him with the justice you cannot—and should not—carry yourself.

With her signature candor and biblical wisdom, Nona will help you:

• Tell God what you actually feel after forgiveness instead of editing the anger out of your prayers
• Turn recurring thoughts and imagined confrontations into prayers that move the burden of justice out of your hands
• Use David's psalms as a biblical pattern for praying through betrayal, resentment, and the desire for vindication
• Release resentment without minimizing the harm, restoring trust prematurely, or confusing forgiveness with reconciliation
• Bring your desire to punish, expose, confront, or get the last word to God before it becomes retaliation

You don't have to choose between being spiritually mature and emotionally honest. Forgiveness doesn't require pretending you're over it, and surrender doesn't require calling evil good.

God already knows how you feel. The Power of Petty Prayers gives you a biblical next step for the anger that remains after forgiveness: tell him the truth, place the case in his hands, and stop letting someone else's offense determine your peace.

Content for reflection can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download.