A Prayer for Those Who Find Faith Difficult - Your Daily Prayer- March 28
A Prayer for Those Who Find Faith Difficult
By Kyle Norman
Bible Reading:
“Since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18
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When I was preparing to publish my book, I worked with an editor specializing in spiritual and religious publications. I sent him the manuscript, which he labored over for about 3 months. Returning it to me, the document was filled with his edit suggestions; I could accept them or decline them as I felt appropriate. His first suggestion was related to the title. My title was “Alive, Loved, & Free: Finding Jesus when Faith is Hard.” He suggested changing it to “Finding Jesus when faith seems hard.”
At first glance, you might think – what’s the issue here? Here’s the problem. To say that faith only seems hard and isn’t hard unwittingly communicates that faith must be pure and struggle-free. Faith only seems hard when sins or failings besiege us; We get in the way. The truly faithful won’t struggle in any spiritual way in their lives. Faith won’t be hard for the truly holy, righteous, and spiritual. To that, I say…false. Not only is it not true, but it’s also not biblical.
The book of Hebrews says Jesus takes on the suffering of humanity. The incarnation is central to our faith. The book of Hebrews affirms that Jesus was made like us in every way. That means that Jesus knows and understands everything we go through, all the good and bad of life. Jesus knows what it’s like to get frustrated and annoyed. He understands what it feels like to complain about the cold weather. He’s familiar with anger, worry, and anxiety. But he also knows what it feels like, inwardly, to be tempted to disobey God. Jesus knows what it is to weep in the shadows. He knows what it’s like to voice agonizing cries and ask, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” He is familiar with the place of suffering and death. The incarnation of Jesus means that in that place, we can meet Jesus.
If we deny that faith can be difficult, we ultimately deny the incarnation because we are saying there is a part of our lives that Jesus did not take on. And if we deny the incarnation, we deny the availability of Jesus’ power in our lives. Because the incarnation isn’t just about Jesus walking the sands of Israel, the incarnation had a purpose—that Jesus could bring the power of God into our humanity.
This allows us to enter the frail and sometimes messy tapestry of our lives, confident that the power of Christ can be met there. The incarnation affects present life. Hebrews says, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he can help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). Because he embraced the fullness of human life, we can find his presence in whatever we face. Jesus dismantles the greatest threats to our lives with God. No matter what the devil may say to highlight our sins and faults, Jesus gets the final word. By destroying the power of the devil, Jesus establishes that he is the one who gets to voice our eternal life – he is the one to who gets to declare who we indeed are as children of God. He gets to say that he is present for us in our moments of suffering and hardship.
Take a moment and think about where you are in life right now. What are you facing? Where might Jesus be meeting you in that place? If we believe that our faith exists only in problem-free times, we will ultimately believe that anything negative we face removes us from Christ’s presence and power. But if we hold onto the incarnation and dare to embrace everything it proclaims to us, then we may find ourselves surrounded by the loving presence of God.
Let’s Pray:
Gracious Lord, I thank you that in Jesus, you humbled yourself to step into my world and my humanity. I thank you that, because of the incarnation of Christ, I can be confident of your presence with me today. As your word testifies, I can approach your throne in confidence and boldness because I know that you sympathize with my weaknesses and hear my cries. Lord, you know me more deeply than I know myself. You are familiar with the struggles and temptations I face. I ask you to come into those places. Lord, come in peace and grace. Help me. Give me the peace that the world cannot give. Bestow upon me grace upon grace, and may you help me see your presence standing with me in what I face.
Lord, it can be hard to endure my times of temptation and suffering. Amid my sufferings, I can be tempted to believe that you do not care for me, do not dwell with me, or have rejected me. Please help me to remain rooted in your presence. Help me see that your love for me is present in those times – so that I can rest in and stand upon you. Help me to know that the most incredible display of your love is not in removing my difficulties but in your decision to enter that place with me – and to walk this road beside me. I pray these things in Jesus, who is my hope, strength, and life. Amen.
Photo Credit: Pexels/Umberto Shaw
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