Praying During Hard Times
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For many, the time they turn to God is when they have hit rock bottom. When they are in the deepest despair, they turn to God hoping and praying that He will remove their calamities and alleviate their suffering.
In this way, God often uses troubling and challenging times to help lead us to Him. However, there are those times when the situation seems so overwhelming that we simply don’t want to talk to God. We may even become angry at God, refusing to speak to Him at all.
It’s the Natural Thing to Do
Many choose this option. They become infuriated with God’s perceived inaction or with the outcome of the situation. They believe that God has abandoned them, or they have become so overwhelmed that they feel it is impossible to turn to anyone for help, even to God.
Jesus understood this. That is why He declared in Matthew 11:28-30:
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Jesus is telling us that when you have reached your end, you simply have nothing else, that is when He wants you to come to Him. When you feel you can’t beat an addiction, your illness isn’t getting better, or your child is going through a hard time, this is when God wants you to lean into Him the most.
What happens when you do this? Jesus promises to give you rest. He tells you that His yoke is light and easy to carry, taking all that shame, anger, frustration, sickness, addiction, and everything else you may be enduring. What He is really promising you is relief.
Do you find it difficult to talk with God when you are angry or depressed?
If so, why do you think you pull away from God?
It Is Ok to Be Angry
One of the best parts of what Jesus is saying is that He is gentle and lowly in heart. What He is saying is that He completely understands your anger during this time. Jesus understands that you are going to be outraged, maybe even rageful. Yet, He is willing to be lowly and gentle, listening to every word you say.
It is an amazing aspect about our God; that the Creator of all the universe, the One who is powerful beyond measure, is willing to be lowly and meek in your anger, accepting that you are going to be outraged at times, maybe even outraged at Him. That during these times you are going to speak in a rude, vulgar, offensive way, but He is still willing to listen and assist you.
Have you ever had a time when you were incredibly angry at God?
If you answered yes to that question, then you are like the vast majority of other people who have lived on earth. Most people have a breaking point where they are so angry that they lash out at God. Our Father tells us that it is acceptable to be this way. He gets our anger and is willing to endure your tirade at Him.
Come to Me
It was mentioned before that it can be those dark times that lead you to God. Many who have been imprisoned turn to God during this time, understanding that there was nowhere else to turn. Their faith began to grow.
Dark times don’t just occur in prison or on the battlefield. They occur in everyday life, and God wants you to turn to Him in every instance. The call that Jesus gave was for us to come to Him so He can give us rest. This is what David did and you will find many of the Psalms are him crying out to God in despair, even in anger.
When you are angry, depressed, anxious, frightened, or facing any other kind of emotion that is paralyzing you, Jesus is saying “Come.” He is welcoming you, encouraging you to share your burdens with Him.
Is God going to remedy your situation in the way that you desire? To be honest, likely not. He has plans that we cannot possibly understand, and that may mean that you have to endure the difficult times you are facing. However, during these dark times, consider two important sets of verses that let you know that God is there and that you are going to make it.
Philippians 4:6-7 reads:
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Paul tells us that when we are feeling anxious, to turn those requests to God. Take your fears and anxieties, your hatred and anger, your frustrations, sadness, bitterness, unforgiveness, and every other emotion you have and turn them over to God. When you do so, a peace that goes well beyond anything you can imagine will come upon you. In this way, you will be able to find peace and perseverance through very difficult times.
We return to Psalm 23 as our second passage. Verse 4 reads,
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
This verse does not promise that you will never walk in dark times. It does not tell you that your life is going to be amazing and everything is going to go your way. Instead, it makes it clear that you are going to walk through some very dark valleys. You are going to face troubling times and circumstances that make you feel like you are “heavy ladened.”
What God does promise to you is that He is with you through the entire walk. That no matter what challenges you are facing, what emotion you are feeling, or what terrible calamity you must endure, God is right there with you. Best of all, He is not just there with you, but also there to comfort you and give you relief.
These are two very important promises that you should take hold. No matter what you may be enduring or feeling, God is on your side and is there to assist you every step of the way.
Have you ever endured dark times and turned to God? Did you feel the anxiety disappear and that you were comforted by Him?
Time to Turn to Him
It is during your darkest and most troubling times that you need God the most. This is not the time to push Him away. When you are struggling with your addiction, furious at what someone else has done, depressed about the direction of your life, or facing some other type of crisis, God wants you to reach out to Him.
We serve an amazing God who is willing to be gentle and lowly so you feel comfortable with sharing your emotions, no matter how extreme or dark they may be.
We also serve a God who has put together an amazing group of brothers and sisters whom you can reach out to during your troubling times. When you are facing challenges, God wants you to lean on fellow Christians so they can pray for you and help you through your struggles.
Do you have fellow believers that you can turn to in times of crisis?
God has a plan to assist you. He will comfort you and guide you through the “shadow of the valley of death” times in your life. The question is if you are ready to go to Him and ask for His help.
What are areas of your life where you need God to give you peace and rest?
Bible Passages for the Week:
Monday – Philippians 4:6-7
Tuesday – Psalm 23
Wednesday – Joshua 1:9
Thursday – 1 John 4:9-10
Friday – Ephesians 3:14-19
Saturday – Pick a passage from Scripture that teaches about praying during difficult times.
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© 2024 Dr. Robert Pannier, Hope CDA, All Rights Reserved
