A Prayer When Everything Goes Wrong
By Kelly Balarie
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.” – Matthew 4:1-2 NLT
Everything I said to my friend she misinterpreted. Grr!!! It was aggravating and infuriating. My hands gripped the steering wheel like a vice clamping wood. At this point, I knew if I told her my shirt was blue, she would adamantly proclaim it was purple. Our communication was missing the target. Face red and heart pounding, I did the only thing I knew to do -- console her feelings, speak truth and to try to turn misunderstanding into understanding. Yet, doing that was not an easy task. My mind was run down by an illness, I felt stressed from work pressures and unsure about what the future held. Mind spinning, I tried to remember where I was and how everything had gone so wrong. I can’t take this, God! My whole world is blowing up before me. How did I end up here?
I wonder, dear friend, if like me, you might be in a place where everything appears to be going wrong? Where no matter how hard you try, things don’t work out… Where no matter what you resolve to do in the morning, it goes bust by afternoon… Where family relations feel hard… Where circumstances just aren’t working out… Where fear is mounting… Where it appears, there is no way out… Desert spaces are where Satan comes to convince us we’ve been deserted by God.
We learn much from Jesus’ time in the wilderness on how He defeated the devil. He did these three things:
- Jesus told Satan, “No!” (Matt. 4:4)
- Jesus proclaimed, "People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)
- Jesus used Scripture to combat enemy lies.
It is important to note that Jesus was not brought to the desert to die from hunger and attacks; He was brought to the desert to release the overcoming power that defeats the devil. It was after this wilderness season that Jesus went out in power-ministry. In our places of defeat, as we overcome, we are transformed into freedom liberators and power troopers of God’s cause. Nothing can stop us because we know how to overcome the enemy of our souls.
Think: The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. Isn’t that wild? The Lord of lords, The Son of God, The Perfect Lamb who embodies sinlessness – was led by God into the wilderness? Our God is not a wasteful God; He is a purposeful God. Just as the wilderness was Jesus’ launching pad, what if it is ours too?
Let’s pray:
Father, this is a hard place to be. Often, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. There are days or times when I don’t think I can make it. I need your strength. I need your wisdom. I need your guidance. I want to do your will. I want to walk in the fruits of the Spirit and in the ways of the Spirit. Will you give me fresh strength for remaining steadfast, fresh resolve for enduring, and fresh hope for believing? There is only one way and it is You. There is only one door, and it is through You, Christ Jesus. Give me the power not to turn to other vices but to endure and persevere. I may feel pressed, but I am not crushed. I may feel persecuted, but I am not abandoned. I may feel struck down, but I am not destroyed. Give me your eyes to love others, even in the face of the fires all around me. Help me to keep hope that you are carrying me through. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/digitalskillet3
Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; be encouraged weekly by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, a cheerleader of faith, is a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly loves seeing the power of prayer in action. She loves seeing the expression on women’s faces when they realize – their God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.
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
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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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