A prayer of faith when life seems out of control

                   Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Ps. 20:7

     Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Prov. 3:5-6

     The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7

A prayer by Scotty Smith     

Dear heavenly Father, though it’s not a fun thing, it’s a good thing—it’s an essential thing, even afreeing thing to realize how little control we have over people, places and things.

For only by acknowledging the limits of our humanity will we rest in the beauty of your sovereignty; only by giving up trying to control our circumstances will we come to rejoice in your providences; only by accepting messes as a part of life will we turn to your mercies in the midst of strife; only by crying “Uncle!” will we learn to cry “Abba!”

Father, as this day begins, (and continues), settle our restless hearts and relax our desperate grip on stories, hearts and situations for which your grace alone is sufficient. We turn from our version of “horses and chariots,” and acknowledge that our trust is in you.

By the truth of the gospel, the pledge of your faithfulness and the power of your Spirit, we trust you with people, for whom we have great concerns—even fear and anger. May “faith expressing itself in love” (Gal. 5:6) trump our penchant for “worry expressing itself through meddling.”

We trust you with our unresolved conflicts and broken relational stories. In Jesus, you have commissioned us as ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:20) and called us to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9). Father, we need special grace, for sometimes the emotional toll and toil of messy relationships makes us want to join Jonah on a ship to Tarshish.

Lastly, Father, we trust you with our health (it often feels so fragile); our wealth (because it’s so fleeting and deceptive), our plans (for you alone know the future); and our heart (for it is yours, though we often pawn it off).

It’s because of your great and grace-full love for us in Jesus that we make our prayer, acknowledge our fears, and surrender our trust. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ safe and strong name.

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Still, my soul, be still!

Still my soul be still
And do not fear
Though winds of change may rage tomorrow
God is at your side
No longer dread
The fires of unexpected sorrow

Chorus:
God You are my God
And I will trust in You and not be shaken
Lord of peace renew
A steadfast spirit within me
To rest in You alone

Still my soul be still
Do not be moved
By lesser lights and fleeting shadows
Hold onto His ways
With shield of faith
Against temptations flaming arrows

Still my soul be still
Do not forsake
The Truth you learned in the beginning
Wait upon the Lord
And hope will rise
As stars appear when day is dimming.

Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend. Hear it sung here.

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A simple picture and profound truth

52home

 

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A prayer for troubled hearts

A prayer by Scotty Smith that is based on these verses

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Then Scotty writes:

Dear Lord Jesus, yesterday’s troubling stories shape today’s morning prayer. I went to bed late last night, wearied with woes of good friends. I arise today hungry with hope in you—our great and gracious Savior.

Thank you for being honest with us about life this side of the new heaven and new earth. We are a broken people in a broken world; and you’re not an on-demand bellhop or genie, promising the elimination hardships and heartaches. But you are a very present help and Redeemer—pledging your presence in every circumstance and trial. Troubling news doesn’t have to cripple our hearts. Indeed, may it carry our hearts to you today, for you are ever so trustworthy, Lord Jesus.

For our friends stunned with heartbreaking health news, we declare our trust in you, Jesus. How we long for the day when words like cancer, dementia and heart disease will no longer appear in our vocabulary. Until that day, we unabashedly and earnestly pray for healing, and we trust you for all-surpassing peace and more-than-sufficient grace.

For our friends saddened with heart-ripping issues with their children, we declare our trust in you, Jesus. Few troubling reports carry more power to dishearten than those related to our children. Whether they’ve been vandalized by others’ darkness or victimized by their own foolish choices, it hurts real bad and real deep. We appeal to your covenant faithfulness and your powerful reach. Capture the hearts of our children, Jesus, and help us love them well in the chaos and the crisis.

For our friends saddled with heart-wrenching financial burdens, we declare our trust in you, Jesus. There’s a growing number among us who have more month left over at the end of the check. Even though the Dow is up, the hope of many is down, and the possibility of losing homes still looms.

Continue reading here.

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Comfort for the weary soul: Psalm 23

A beautiful meditation from Paul Tautages today:

Psalm 23 is comfort food for the weary soul. Read it, meditate on it, and rest in these simple truths.

• My Shepherd adequately supplies all of my needs.
• My Shepherd is the only sure cause of contentment.
• My Shepherd leads me and satisfies my deepest thirst for wholeness.
• My Shepherd is the only one who can fully restore the inner person, my soul.
• My Shepherd desires my practical holiness and will do whatever it takes to lead me there for the sake of His Name.
• My Shepherd never leaves my side and will never forsake me.
• My Shepherd provides for my safety; therefore, I have no legitimate cause for fear.
• My Shepherd’s rod of discipline and staff of protection both bring me comfort.
• My Shepherd abundantly lavishes His grace upon me when the wolves attack.
• My Shepherd binds up my broken bones and heals my wounds; His supply and care are abundant.
• My Shepherd’s goodness and grace will be by my side from now, until death, and throughout eternity.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).

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No one understands like Jesus

No one understands like Jesus,
He’s a friend beyond compare;
Meet Him at the throne of mercy,
He is waiting for you there.

No one understands like Jesus,
Every woe He sees and feels;
Tenderly He whispers comfort,
And the broken heart He heals.

No one understands like Jesus,
When the foes of life assail;
You should never be discouraged,
Jesus cares and will not fail.

No one understands like Jesus,
When you falter on the way;
Tho’ you fail Him, sadly fail Him
He will pardon you today.

Chorus:
No one understands like Jesus,
When the days are dark and grim;
No one is so near, so dear as Jesus,
Cast your every care on Him.

–John W. Peterson,  made well known by George Beverly Shea

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14–16, ESV)

 

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Feeding your soul brings hope

Wow, there are so many great truths in this post by Jon Bloom  who has written an article for TableTalk this month entitled “Feeding Your Soul.”  If you are low on hope,know someone who is feeling hopeless, or if you are just experiencing heightened anxiety or adversity in your life, I’d highly recommend taking some time and processing this article. Here’s a sample:

Hope is to our soul what energy is to our bodies. Hope is the spiritual energy generated in the soul when we believe that our future is good, even if our present is bad. Our souls must have hope to keep going, just as our bodies must have energy to keep going.

Hope is something we feel only about the future, whether it’s ten minutes or ten thousand years from now. We’re never hopeful about the past. We can be grateful for the past. The past can inspire or even guarantee a hopeful future for us. But all the wonderful things that have happened to us in the past will not fuel our hope if our future looks bleak. We must have hope for the future to keep going.

Read it all here.

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Grace for the weak and hurting

“He will not break a bruised reed, and He will not put out a smoldering wick.” Matthew 12:20

What is weaker than the bruised reed–or the smoldering wick?

A reed that grows in the marsh–let even a wild duck land upon it, and it snaps; let but the foot of man brush against it, and it is bruised and broken; every wind that flits across the river–moves it to and fro. You can conceive of nothing more frail or brittle, or whose existence is more in jeopardy, than a bruised reed.

Then look at the smoldering wick–what is it? It has a spark within it, it is true–but it is almost smothered; an infant’s breath might blow it out; nothing has a more precarious existence than its flame.

Weak things are here described–yet Jesus says of them, “I will not break a bruised reed; I will not put out a smoldering wick.” Some of God’s children are made strong to do mighty works for Him; God has His Samsons here and there–who can pull up Gaza’s gates, and carry them to the top of the hill; He has a few mighties who are lion-like men. But the majority of His people are a timid, trembling race. They are like starlings, frightened at every passer-by. They are a little fearful flock. If temptation comes–they are captured like birds in a snare. If trial threatens–they are ready to faint. Their frail skiff is tossed up and down by every wave; they drift along like a sea bird on the crest of the billows–weak things, without strength, without wisdom, without foresight.

Yet, as weak as they are–and because they are so weak–they have this promise made specially to them! Herein is grace and graciousness! Herein is love and loving-kindness! How it reveals the compassion of Jesus to us–so gentle, tender, considerate! We need never shrink back from His touch. We need never fear a harsh word from Him–though He might well chide us for our weakness. Bruised reeds shall have no blows from Him, and the smoldering wick no damping frowns!

~ C.H. Spurgeon

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Quieting your noisy, stressed soul

At the end of a helpful article on “Handling Stress“, Brent Aucion gives these ten reminders to help believers quiet their “noisy, stressed souls.”

1. Trust that the sovereign God is in control of all pressures in your life, using them for His good purposes to transform you into the likeness of Christ (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28–29).
2. Recognize that guilt is a big “stressor” in life. Certain pressures come as consequences of our own actions (Galatians 6:7–8). Irresponsible debt is an obvious example. Confess any known sin. Begin growing in Christ, putting away the ungodly actions and attitudes that may have led to your stressful circumstances (Proverbs 28:13).
3. Pray with specific requests and thank God for His good purposes in trials (Philippians 4:6–7).
4. Repent of any self-willed efforts to change circumstances that are beyond your control. Often believers—caught up in their pride—seek to do things only God can do (such as ensuring that our kids turn out right, avoiding job loss, fixing the economy, and converting an unbelieving spouse). Clearly when we seek to control things that only God can do, we will become stressed (Psalm 131).
5. Seek to return good for evil when pressure arises from the sinfulness of others (Romans 12:18).
6. Pray that God will help you to control your thinking so as not to worry, fear, or despair (Matthew 6:25–34). Cultivate the godly thinking that Paul describes in Philippians 4:8–9.
7. Work hard to solve problems within your control today (Matthew 6:34;Ephesians 4:26–27). God has given each of us enough challenges for today. We need to take proper care and concern for today’s issues while we plan wisely for the future (Proverbs 6:6–8).
8. Seek wise, biblical counseling in the areas of your greatest stress. Start with the most significant issue first (Proverbs 27:9).
9. Seek regular accountability to help you respond biblically to the pressures of life (Proverbs 13:20; Hebrews 10:24–25).
10. Attempt to establish helpful routines of diet, exercise, and adequate rest (1 Timothy 4:8).

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A prayer for the overwhelmed!

     When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17

A prayer by Pastor Scotty Smith

     Gracious Father, there are times when the “odds” feel quite stacked against us. With the naked eye, the enemies of justice, truth, and the gospel greatly seem to outnumber your “troops.” At times, serving you feels quite overwhelming, even futile, if not foolish. But just when we begin to retreat into a basement of fear or question your concern and faithfulness, once again you open the eyes of our hearts and show us the way things really are. You’re such a patient and merciful God.

     It is so good—no, it’s vital to know that because of the gospel, “those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). If our God is with us, and you patently are, then who or what can, ultimately prevail against us? On our behalf, you didn’t spare Jesus. You freely gave him for our slavery to sin. But, of course, you will keeping on giving us everything we need to serve and honor you.

     But the way of the gospel will always be strength in weakness, the transforming treasure of the gospel in fragile clay pots, like us. It was three hundred poorly armed soldiers, not thirty-four thousand fighting men, you sent with Gideon to defeat the Midianite army. Jesse’s youngest son, David, a young shepherd, was your choice to be the king of Israel. Most profoundly, it was the crucifixion of Jesus, not an insurrection of zealots, which won our salvation.

     Father, the odds are never really stacked against your covenant purposes and your transforming kingdom. You’re not “trying” to do anything. You never have to resort to plan B. You never hedge your bets. You are God, and there is no other.

     So help us, and your servants throughout the world, not to become weary in preaching the gospel and planting churches, in doing justice and loving mercy, in loving our addicted friends and waiting for prodigal children to come home. We will reap a harvest at the proper time, if we do not give up (Gal. 6:9), and the gospel is all the motivation, hope, and power we need to not give up.

     Before he returns, Jesus will redeem his pan-national bride; and when he returns, Jesus will finish making all things new—ushering in the new heaven and new earth. Our labors in the Lord are often exhausting and discouraging, but they are never ever in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). Hallelujah, several times over! So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ trustworthy and triumphant name.

Thank you, Scotty, for sharing this prayer!  I know I need it and many of my fellow servants of Christ do as well!

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