A Prayer When Confronting Life's Biggest Challenges
By Emma Danzey
Bible Reading
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” - James 1:12
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What is a trial? Anything that is challenging, that tests us, grows us, and shapes us more into the image of Christ. James teaches us that we are blessed when we remain steadfast even in the most difficult circumstances. God has promised a crown of life in heaven to those who love Him. We are able to be filled by His Spirit each day, enabling us to take on the biggest challenges in life with His strength.
To be honest, most people do not like or enjoy challenges. We might love the sense of victory when they are over, or the game planning of overcoming the obstacles, but a challenge is still a challenge. Jesus Himself asked that the cup would be taken away from Him.
Luke 22:41-44 says, “And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.”
If it was acceptable for Jesus to wrestle with the Father in prayer over His circumstances, then it is acceptable for us. As we pray today, we are going to commit to authenticity as we confront our unique challenges in life. God cares about us and has never left us alone in our situations. He knows every thought that we think and every tear that we have cried. He can minister to the most difficult places in our hearts, where we feel defeated or afraid. When we do not understand and we cannot comprehend what or why, our God is trustworthy and always with us.
Let's Pray:
Dear Lord,
We come before you with one of life’s biggest challenges. We are confronting it in Jesus’ name. Your name is powerful and You can meet us in any situation. We confess that we do not like this challenge, we would never choose it, and we are wrestling Lord. Thank You that we get to come at this challenge with victory in Christ because of what You have already accomplished for us. We claim victory over our circumstances, our minds, our hearts, and our attitudes. We ask that You would give us strength to remain steadfast even in the longest trials. We pray for relief from our heavy burdens.
You tell us that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. We receive that today and cast our anxieties upon You, believing that You will sustain us. You will never let the righteous fall. But God, this doesn’t feel good, this is not what I would have chosen, we do not understand what You are doing in this. But we affirm who You are, You are trustworthy, You are working all things together for our good and Your glory because we love You. You tell us that no trial is wasted and that You can take the most broken situations and work something good into them. Your ways are higher than our own, You thoughts are not our thoughts. Thank You for seeing everything and being omniscient.
We are so grateful to be Your children who can rest in Your arms. You care for us like a Shepherd cares for his sheep. You tell us in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Thank You for being a Good Shepherd. Thank You for helping us to walk through the darkest valleys. Thank You for walking with us and never letting us be alone. Would you give us great wisdom and guidance in our decisions and responses to the hurdles that come our way. Give us the courage that we do not have and Your beautiful peace.
We pray in your name, Jesus, amen.
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/Denis Mamin
Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.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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