Keep Praying

The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:16 NRSV

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NRSV

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 NIV

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11b KJV

Though I prayed (often) about the difficult situation confronting me, I must be honest and confess that at times, my faith was just a thin veneer of hope so. Hope so, that He is. Hope so, that He’s listening. Hope so, that He is able. Hope so, that He cares. While such honesty is uncomfortable, I am only putting to print what many of us wrestle with at times. But wrestle it out we must. Let’s not allow the enemy to take a victory lap just because life gets a little (or a lot) tough.

God has promised that if we seek Him, He will be found by us, when we seek Him with all our heart. And there’s nothing like an impossible situation, a trial beyond our strength, or pain beyond our ability to endure, to cause us to do just that. Fall to our knees and call out to the only One who is able to do the impossible in our impossible situations.

He has also promised that our prayers are powerful and effective. Recently, I heard the analogy of a sledge hammer hitting a wall, one swing, one hit at a time. Eventually, maybe the 35^th swing (?), a crack appeared and then finally, the wall came down. It wasn’t that the 35^th swing carried such a punch, but that each preceding swing had done its work. And so it is with our prayers. We show up, present your requests to the Lord and then walk away with His peace. Repeat, and repeat again. Often. Trust that no matter what it looks like, He is faithful, He is good, He is able and He is at work.

The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel. 

– Thomas Watson

Allow the pain of your trial or the hopelessness of your situation, to drive you to your knees … to Him. Trust that however He answers is ultimately for your best and His glory.

One last thought, perhaps the most challenging of all. Do not give in to the temptation to give up and stop praying. We serve the God of all hope.

Enable us to trust You with what we’ve placed in Your hands, knowing that You are at work in the situations because we’ve asked You to be. Not because of what we see with our eyes, but because of what we see in Your Word.

Becky White

Father, enable us to have the kind of faith in You (not in faith) that allows us to sleep on the boat while storms are raging around us. Grant us the supernatural ability to sit still in peace, knowing that You will either calm the storm or calm Your children in the storm. Enable us to trust You with what we’ve placed in Your hands, knowing that You are at work in the situations because we’ve asked You to be. Not because of what we see with our eyes, but because of what we see in Your Word. Thank You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

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