Our family has been through a lot of things this summer, and once we get a little more through it I'll blog on my summer long journey of faith. It has also changed my prayer life some. Both my relationship with God and my prayer life drastically changed when I realized that God knows everything anyway and he'd rather hear our heartfelt prayers than praying how you think you are "supposed" to. For example I sometimes pray out loud during our CR small group and I always start with the things I'm grateful for. But a couple of weeks ago I was having a bad week and a bad day...so I started my prayer with "Dear God, I feel no gratitude right now, all I can see is the bleakness of things so before I ask for anything else I am asking that you fill my heart with gratitude." Went on and prayed for the requests of our group, etc. The whole next week He reminded me how He cares and is faithful in all the little ways, little ways that I had overlooked while focusing and worrying on the big stuff. Anyway, here are some verses that encouraged me greatly along the way. (NLT, 2nd version)
I Peter 4:12,13 "Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through....instead, be very glad-for these trials make your partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." This verse reminds me that it is in the hard times that God can come through and show his power and I can have the joy of being a part of others seeing how God has provided for me through the trials.
Philippians 4:6, 7 "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand." I LOVE this one!
Philippians 4:13 "For I can do everything through Christ, who give me strength."
I Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
James 1:2-4 "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
The footnotes in my Life Recovery Bible say this about those verses: "Difficulties and temptations are facts of life for everyone, particularly those of us with a background of addiction, abuse or other dysfunction. We may be tempted to return to our destructive behaviors. As we face difficult times, though, our attitude can make all the difference. James tells us to be happy as we face difficulties and temptations. This is hardly a natural reaction to a painful situation. Seeing our trials as building blocks to God's work in our life, however, may help us change our negative attitude toward tough times. We can have joy during these trials because through them we learn patience, an essential ingredient for successful recovery."
John 16:33 "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." Again I love the footnotes for this verse: "In this world, especially in recovery, we encounter 'many trials and sorrows,' many of them beyond our control. These can be endured with God's help. On the other hand, some of our suffering is self-inflicted and can be avoided. In such situations, God still offers us peace as we muster the courage to make needed changes in our life. God's forgiveness and loving acceptance can give us peace as we face all of our trials and sorrows. God's power can lead us through recovery; he has already overcome all the obstacles that stand in our way!"
2 Corinthians 1:3,4 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
2 Corinthians 4:8, 9 "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed."
Matthew 6:25-34 "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don't worry about these things, saying 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."
I love Psalms, David is so honest in his questioning and doubts and worries, but in the midst of it he turns it into praise. I can't even pick out all the Psalms that I read when discouraged....SO many of them. I swear I believe that David was bipolar. Just read his despair and depression in Psalm 88, then the next psalm (89) he is singing praises to the Lord. He does this very often throughout the psalms. In despair and questioning where God even is, then switching to thanking and praising God in the midst of it. In Psalm 77 he even says he is too distressed to sleep and to even pray, then a few verses down he says "but then I recall all you have done O Lord" and switches to praising him.
Psalm 116:1-5 "I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: 'Please, Lord, save me!' How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!"
I like that is says he bends down to listen to us, especially at those times I feel my prayers aren't going past the ceiling.
Psalm 94:17-19 "Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, 'I am slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer."
Psalm 42:5, 8 "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again-my Savior and my God! (v. 8) But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life."
Psalm 27:13, 14 "Yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord."
Psalm 61:1-3 "O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me."
Seriously, it would take me forever to write down all the verses that David writes that show we can pray honestly to God and tell him how we really feel, yet at the same time continue to trust and believe that He will take care of us.
I hope that some of these verses encourage you as well.
