A Prayer to Trust God with Your Problems
By Christine Perry
"Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:4 NIV
I used to think if you followed Christ, things would be smooth sailing. After serving in ministry, I realized I was wrong. Sometimes, following the Lord means facing more problems.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, “Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.”
This is the polar opposite of smooth sailing. The longer I’ve come to know the Lord, the more I realize that He doesn’t always stop the storms and problems from coming. Yet, He is our Rock in the midst of it. Only He can give us a song in the night. Only He can give us peace in uncertainty. Only He can keep us going when we have nothing in the tank. He does this by lifting our eyes to Him, the maker of heaven and earth and the creator of us. If He spoke the world into existence, He can speak into our situations. But, sometimes, He remains quiet, and when He is quiet, He wants us to trust His character.
God has never and will never fail. Things may be incredibly uncomfortable, but He is trustworthy in handling our problems. He knew we would face them before we were even born. He can handle any situation we face without strain. Simply saying God is able can help shift our perspective from the problem to the Lord. I don’t know what you are facing, but God does, and He sees You. He also sees the whole picture. Lean into Him. Cling to the promises of His Word. He will not fail. And regardless of whatever we are facing, He has ultimately won the greatest battle we will ever face — death and atonement for our sins. God is worthy of our trust and knows what He is doing.
Let's pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You that You are our Father. Thank You that You care about every situation, every person, and every hardship we face. Thank You that we can ask for wisdom when we don’t know what to do.Thank You that we are never out of Your hands and never out of sight. Thank You that You hear us. Thank You that You’re trustworthy. Thank You for Your Word that says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2.
Lord, we confess that it’s not Your trustworthiness that causes us to doubt. It’s our own self-reliance, independence, and pride that makes us think we have to handle all our problems on our own. Please soften our hearts. Make us moldable and create a deeper trust in us for You. Father, we are aware that apart from You, we are and can do nothing, but with You, we can endure all things. And as Charles Spurgeon said, please help us to learn to kiss the waves that throw us against the Rock of Ages. Amen!
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/tommaso79
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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