Pray that you would accept the situation. Pray for strength to get through the situation.
There are situations in life we simply do
not want to experience—illness, unemployment, divorce, and so many others.
Often times, God will spare us from these situations. Other times, He will
allow us to go through them…but He doesn’t require that we tread through them
alone. He promises to walk the road of life with us. After praying to accept
the situation, we can pray for strength to get through it. Jesus did.
When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane
“‘Father, if you are willing, please take
this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’
Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:42-43 NLT)
Jesus accepted that the situation was
God’s will, but God didn’t let Jesus go through it without help. He sent an
angel to strengthen Jesus for what was to come.
I need God’s help to accept a situation I
don’t want to go through. I also need His strength. I can’t do it on my own,
but trust in God and prayer will give me the strength to face the situation.
Like He did for Jesus, God will also strengthen us for what is to come.
A situation I don’t understand and can’t
control feels impossible to get through. Some days I am depleted of strength
and energy. If I rely on myself, there is none to be found. But God never tires
and never grows weak.
One of my favorite passages is found in
the book of Isaiah.
“The Lord is the everlasting God, the
Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the
depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the
powerless. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will
soar high on wings like eagles. The will run and not grow weary. They will walk
and not faint.” (Isaiah
40:28b-29; 31 NLT)
The strength we need to endure a
situation comes not from ourselves, but from the Lord. He has an abundant
supply and wants to share it with us. Through our dependence on Him, we are
strengthened.
This is a three-part series. Part One –
Pray for Acceptance. On Friday…Part Three—Pray for the Future.
In Christ,
Laura
Laura
Isaiah 40:31 is my favorite verse. I cling to it over and over. Psalm 91 is also comforting to me.
ReplyDeleteThank you Aurie, as soon as I read your comment, I read Psalm 91 -- just what I needed today!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and leaving a comment!
I always pray for God to give me the strength to embrace situations that I do not understand. I know that He will bring me through!
ReplyDeleteyes... strength shared. what a lovely and needed gift!
ReplyDeleteI went back and read Part 1, too. The real key is this line: "The strength we need to endure a situation comes not from ourselves, but from the Lord." And sometimes, if we truly rely on Him, for me it isn't just "enduring" the situation - I find myself growing because of the situation.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Thanks for sharing.
Great post! Isn't it a blessing to know that the One in us, by whose strength we live, is never tired? Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of song that says "His strength is perfect when my strength is gone..."
ReplyDeletelove what you are working out here Laura!
I have found this to be true in many scenarios of life. My strength and abilities are inadequate but He is all I need to conquer life.
ReplyDeleteLaura, such a beautiful and powerful reminder! Thank you for this -- especially for the Isaiah verse at the end.
ReplyDelete"Often times, God will spare us from these situations. Other times, He will allow us to go through them…but He doesn’t require that we tread through them alone."
ReplyDeleteLaura, I just can't express how much I appreciate these words from you today. You don't know how much they minister to me. I believe this to be true, in the depths of my being. I know that God sometimes miraculously intervenes, but sometimes He also allows deep pain and suffering. Both are in His hands. And His purposes will be accomplished through both.
Thank you for this encouragement, on today of all days.