Months of fear, anxiety, and depression followed as Christi watched Suzy like a hawk. Christi felt abandoned by God. Her prayers, when she prayed, were full of Why God? questions laced with anger at Him. She didn’t want to go to church; she didn’t want to read her Bible. She was mad.

Finally Christi’s sister spoke truth into her life. “Christi, read the book of Job. Everything was taken away from him. He felt confused and betrayed. He questioned God, and God answered him. In the end he developed a healthy fear of Him and His power, and he loved and served God the rest of his life.”

What does it mean to fear God? There is a fine line, a holy tension, between taking liberties with our Creator and quaking in our boots in His presence. He wants us to recognize His power and authority; yet we can crawl into His lap and call Him Abba. By acknowledging that He is God and we are not, we can give Him His rightful position in our lives. Then we can pour out our hearts without fear, without sin, to the One who is all-powerful, the One who understands.

So when we pray, let’s remember who we’re talking to. He wants our love, and He wants our respect. Just as a child both loves and respects his parents—that’s how we should freely approach our Father.