Lord, we’re sorry for being a soft Church.
We’re sorry for confusing a couple months of inconvenience with suffering, and for equating the light affliction of limiting our activities to anything endured by the New Testament saints or Old Testament patriarchs.
Noah and his family stayed shut up in an ark full of animals for almost a year—only 40 days and 40 nights, of which were because of the rain—mostly waiting for the waters to subside.
Looking ragged, away from everything familiar, enduring horrible smells, yet safe with his family amid widespread destruction because he followed your instruction.
Paul suffered imprisonment, flogging, stoning and shipwrecks, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, and nakedness in harsh elements, yet he also confessed he learned the secret of being content in every situation.
He learned the secret through enduring his struggles.
But we struggle to endure minor inconveniences.
Our flesh craves comfort, but contentment is satisfaction under any conditions. Jesus, You told us in this world we will have trouble.
You said it, knowing the discomfort of no place to lay your head in the world and anticipating the agony of a cross You didn’t deserve.
Help us understand the difference between craving creature comforts and true suffering. Help us endure the lesser while grateful we’re spared greater sorrow.
Help us dwell in safety, in the secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty. There, You will command your angels concerning us to guard us in all our ways.
We can do all things through You, Christ, who strengthens us.
In changing our mind and resting in You is our salvation, in quietness and in confidence is our strength—if only we’ll receive it. Like Noah, You shut us into the ark of safety, and You know the right time to call us out of it.
Blessed are all who wait for You!
It’s in your holy name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Inspired by Philippians 4:12.
“I have no words right now.”
We’ve all been there. Life hands you a problem you can’t even put into words, much less solve. And whether you’re a longtime believer who’s discouraged, you’re new to faith in Christ or you’re wondering what this “Jesus stuff” is all about, talking with God about what you’re facing feels so far out of reach.
What if there were a way to making talking to God easier?
You may not know what to say or you may not want to pray. But if you’re overwhelmed, speechless, and confused about what to do next, Jesus wants to help you.
Got A Minute to Pray is a collection of 60 Bible-based prayers for today’s challenges like worry, anxiety, and depression.
These prayers are both powerful and practical. They connect your needs with God’s heart by echoing what God has already promised you. Because, unlike people, God always stands behind His word.
These guided prayers reduce anxiety and restore the peace you long for.
Christian prayer is not about religion. It’s a relationship with the living God. And when you have no words for what you’re facing, Jesus has plenty. So, you got a minute to pray?
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Vanessa A. Harris 