James 5:16 MSG — Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

How open are you to sharing your struggles with Christian friends? Do you allow others to see your vulnerability or do you work hard to keep your struggles hidden? When thinking about how we hide our weaknesses I think of the scene from the Wizard of Oz when the characters see on the other side of the curtain the wizard has been hiding behind. Click here to watch the video.

Sharing our struggles is a way to connect and oftentimes witness to others. Allowing others to see how you react and respond to your troubles may reveal struggles you have in common. Being vulnerable also allows others to share your struggles so they may pray for you. I encourage you to let down the curtain around you instead of constructing a perfect looking facade. Being vulnerable and sharing with others can become a beautiful blessing for both of you.

Let’s pray. Dear God, give me strength to let down the curtain I use to cover my struggles. Use my vulnerability to witness and share with others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.