A Prayer to Not Waste the Season You’re In
By Kristine Brown
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1, ESV
For seven long years, my husband and I tried to conceive. I wanted a baby more than anything. I didn’t realize it at the time, but angst and stress took over. I focused so much on what I wanted that I lost sight of the joy of the season we were in—the first years of our new life together. I fixed my mind on what awaited us in the future and missed out on good things happening around me. I noticed a dangerous pattern starting to take shape in my life. I focused so passionately on my goals for the future that bits and pieces of my current season passed by without me noticing. Thankfully, God began working on my heart and showing me how to embrace each season, no matter how difficult. It’s a lesson I’m still learning today: not to waste the season I’m in by fixating on what’s to come.
I’ve often thought about the familiar verse in Ecclesiastes 3:1, which says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” An article I recently read on biblestudytools.com gives insight into the meaning behind the verse, including this important truth, “Our situations will not last forever. If you are in a certain season of life, you can be confident the season will come to an end at some point.” Solomon’s words serve as a reminder that every good thing comes from God. Still, it’s hard to “enjoy the moment” in the difficult seasons Solomon described in the verses that follow. In my desire to hang on until the hard season ends, I unknowingly push away the good with the bad.
Sometimes, we stand on the cusp of an unexpected season and resolve to take one step in front of the other until we get through it. We quote words that bring comfort and refuse to quit until we get the reprieve we’ve hoped for. The problem with this self-preservation is that we may miss the beautiful things happening right in the midst of the struggle. It has taken many seasons and a lot of quality time with Jesus to help me understand how to be present, enjoy the moment, and not waste a season. Yes, God has a time and purpose for everything—a truth that should bring us hope in both the joyous and the challenging seasons. It is the design of a loving Father who promises to work everything together for our good.
So let’s ask God to search our hearts as we ask ourselves these questions. Are we believing the lie that we will only be happy when we get to the next season? Are we forgetting to notice the right-now blessings in our lives? Friend, if you’re thinking back on times past and entertaining regret over seasons you took for granted, it’s not too late for us to take those regrets to the Lord and choose to embrace our current seasons. Instead of always focusing on the future, let’s choose to fix our eyes on Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2). I believe God wants to show us something incredibly beautiful right where we are.
Let’s pray:
Dear God,
Thank you for the season I’m in. I don’t want to waste a moment. Even on challenging days, you are here to guide me. I believe you have something beautiful to show me through this season, and I trust you. Thank you for reminding me through your Word that there is a season for everything. Sometimes, I will focus so far ahead that I miss good things right where I am. I may be tempted to hurry past the hard season, but I do not want to miss the blessings in front of me. Help me see your blessings as I focus fully on you. Help me embrace the moment and know you are always here, guiding the way.
In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/dohtar
For more spiritual growth resources, check out the 5-day email devotional, How to Be Free from Bitterness, by today’s devotion writer, Kristine Brown. Learn more about women in the Bible and find encouragement to help you “become more than yourself through God’s Word” at Kristine’s website, morethanyourself.com.
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.
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