Here’s what I’m learning about praying in good and tough times
By Dean Collins
I have noticed something about myself. And if you are a regular reader of my devotionals, you might think, Well I am glad he finally realized what is so obvious to the rest of us!
What I’ve learned about myself might be more convicting than profound: No matter where I am in my daily reading of Scripture, I usually relate my reading to going through tough times. And for good reason. Over the years I have been writing daily, I have, in fact, experienced many tough times!
Facing challenges
If you are a leader, you understand. When leading, you are often more aware of the wide range of challenges that come with leading. Some of these challenges include things you can change, and other challenges you cannot change. Yet you are called to serve and lead anyway. It is the nature of the calling. As a faith leader, you also naturally cry out to God.
But here is the second thing I noticed. And this is a confession. I tend to cry out to God in prayer more when I am facing challenges and hardship than when things are going well. I imagine I am not alone in this tendency. I read Psalm 130 this morning. It is one of many psalms where the psalmist is clearly distressed by some difficulty and cries out to God, begging for help.
Realizing limitations
In a calm moment, we are unlikely to approach God with such intensity. I am confident that God doesn’t need us to beg or yell for him to hear us and respond. But he is also completely comfortable with our doing so. And I suspect he is happy we get to crying out because our crying out is a confession that we realize our limitations and that God has no limitations.
Reading this psalm reminds us to take the following steps in times of need:
Cry out
Wait for the Lord
Hope in his Word constantly
I have gotten pretty consistent in crying out and hoping in God’s Word. I am not particularly good at waiting, though I am learning daily that I must wait. When I rush, I often make things worse.
Praying and thanking
Last year I quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:17 a minimum of two times a day to myself and as a part of my prayers. There are three instructions in this verse: rejoice, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances.
Looking back on last year, I realize I did much better at praying frequently throughout the day. I will confess, though, that while I was thankful for many things, I sometimes forgot to be thankful because the circumstances were often difficult. Difficulty can also cause us to forget to be joyful.
Psalm 130 ends with a reminder that with the Lord there is steadfast love and plenty of redemption. As I meditate on this verse, I realize God’s steadfast love is the reason we can and must cry out to God, not just with our pain but with our rejoicing. His love is wide and deep and constant. The river of God’s love runs through all our circumstances, not just the hardest ones.
Redeeming our prayers
Maybe the things I am confessing and learning about my prayer life can help you as well. Since God is steadfast in his love and with him comes plentiful redemption, I am confident he is in the process of redeeming our prayer lives so that we will more naturally and joyfully come to him with not only our needs but also with gratitude for his many blessings.
Lord, we come to you today filled with gratitude and joy. Thank you for your steadfast love. Thank you for filling us with your love so that your joy and ours might be complete. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 130:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Photo by NEOM on Unsplash
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