A Prayer for When Things Seem Hopeless & Chaotic

Jesus, some days my world seems to be spinning out of control. Everywhere I look, I see chaos—even in my own life. There are days where I long to just throw in the towel and say, "Enough." Where can I turn? Who can I talk to?

You're the only one I know who will truly listen, Lord. And I know you have the answers. But I can't seem to find them. I long to see a little clearing in this tunnel. I need a little hope, Jesus. Your Word tells me I can come to you for that hope and that you won't disappoint, that your load is easy and your burden light.

Give me a new perspective, Lord, and blow away the cobwebs that keep cluttering my mind and my vision. Every time I'm tempted to become discouraged or depressed because of negative events or situations, help me turn my eyes on you. Help me to remember all the times you've been there for me, and all the ways you have brought me through difficult times. I forget to thank you sometimes, but I am so grateful for your faithfulness.

When things look hopeless, I will hope in you. You died to give us hope, not only eternally, so we could live forever with you, forgiven and free. But you also provide a way daily for us to live above the cares of this world. Thank you for reminding me of that in your Word. Your spirit lives in us—in me—as your child and follower. Sometimes I forget that!

Thank you for understanding me and loving me, just as I am. And thank you for accepting me even when I was a hopeless case—just as we all were at one time. Perfect people in a perfect world would have no need of your gift of hope. With my eyes on you, I want to see life as you see it. I don't want to waste time being negative or withdrawn from others, focusing only on what can't be or what might never change. Teach me how to find contentment even if my circumstances remain the same. With your perspective, I can push past the impossible and find the strength and courage to believe that no matter what happens, your hope will lift me to a higher plane—where joy and purpose reign again.

In Your precious name that is above all names and all this mess, Amen.

 

Held by Hope

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19, NIV)




Have you ever wanted to travel back in time to be an eyewitness of the celestial celebration that took place in Bethlehem the night that Jesus was born?  Now, I’m a bit fussy about fashion, but I’d even consider donning shepherd garb and hanging out with a few sheep for that opportunity! To see angels fill the sky, to hear the voice of God through the cries of a baby. To catch a glimpse of the brilliant Star of David, and to satisfy my curiosity as to what exactly a host of heavenly angels sounds like.

Oh, and to talk to Mary!  Wouldn’t that be amazing to hear what she was thinking as she witnessed, and took part in the greatest miracle ever known to man? This baby she gave birth to was God-in-flesh, a true bundle of perfect love.  What do you think she treasured in her heart as she took it all in?  I’m struck by this thought:  As she held the Hope of the world, the Hope of the world was also holding her. Ponder that!

The baby born in a barn that holy night long ago is the Hope of the world - the Grace that saves us - the Love that heals us.  Jesus is the Hope that changes our worthless into precious, our guilty to forgiven, our hungry into satisfied, and our empty into full.  His presence is inescapable.  Once we believe on Christ for salvation, we cannot flee from His stubborn love-grip.  The psalmist, David said: “If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:8-10).

The Bible tells us in the New Testament that Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God, the Father in heaven and that He “holds us fast.” Relish that thought. The Hope that holds us is Jesus Christ. You and I are held by Hope.

In the Old Testament, God told Joshua that He would “never leave or forsake” him (Joshua 1:5). God says the same to us. He will never leave us or forsake us; no matter the circumstances, not matter the diagnoses, no matter the financial struggle. Our faithful LORD is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We can rest assured that in everything we are held by Hope.

After His resurrection and before His ascension into heaven, Jesus said, “Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).  My girlfriend Mary Southerland often reminds people that the word “always” actually means … drum roll please … "always!"  He is always with us.  Always loving us.  Always wanting us to find comfort, refuge, joy and satisfaction in Him.

As Christmas approaches and the New Year dawns, let’s be mindful of God’s promise that we are never alone. Just like the shepherds received the headline news of Jesus’ birth from singing angels so long ago, receive this glad tiding of great joy today: If you are in Christ, then you are held by Hope

When You Feel Far From God

Jesus said: On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14:20, NIV)




Do you ever feel far away from God, or that He is far away from you? If you’re like most people, then I bet the answer is yes. So let’s take a look at those “feelings.”

You are a triune being with a body, soul, and spirit. Within your soul you have a mind, will, and emotions. That’s where those “feelings come from.” And if you are like most people, sometimes you feel closer to God than other times. But are you? Really





But just because I feel closer to God in a particular moment doesn’t mean that I am. It is just a feeling. We know that we cannot have that giddy feeling about our spouse all the time. Then why do we think we have to have that with God?

Paul prayed for the Ephesians that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they could know him better …that they might know the hope to which he had called them…(Ephesians 1:17-19). He prayed for the Colossians that they would know the mystery of God, namely, Christ in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3). He did not pray that they would feel like they were close to God or feel the love of God. He prayed that they would know it.

Specifically, Paul prayed:

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. (How? Through faith.) And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know his love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19 emphasis added).

Why do we experience times when we feel far from God? How can we feel far from God if His Holy Spirit lives in us? If you are in Christ and He is in you (John 14:20), why don’t you feel Him at all times? Can you feel distant from your liver, from your kidney or from your pancreas? Being near to God, or rather feeling near to God is not a matter of proximity, as if one of us moved closer or further away. It is not a matter of a physical position, but it is a matter of our relational acuity. It is a spiritual receptivity, a spiritual awareness, and a spiritual acknowledgement of His presence.

Charles Spurgeon once said: “It may be that there are saints who are always at their best, and are happy enough never to lose the light of their Father’s countenance. I am not sure that there are such persons…and I have not traversed that happy land. Every year of my life has had a winter as well as a summer, and every single day has its night…I confess that though the substance be in us, as in the teil-tree and the oak, yet we do lose our leaves, and the sap within us does not flow with equal vigor at all seasons.”

God has promised He will never leave us, but we can feel far from Him when we ignore Him, live independently from Him, grow dissimilar from Him, or rush about expecting Him to tag along rather than move in union with Him.

Stand on what you know. “On that day,” Jesus said, “You will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:20 NIV). And friend, you can’t get much closer than that.

And while your humanness falters between spiritual times of plenty and times of want, communion with God is always just a whisper away as you acknowledge His presence with you and in you.

 

WHEN GOD WOOS YOUR HEART

Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them”(John 6:44 NIV).

Friend to Friend

The entire Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22:21 is a record of God’s passionate pursuit of the human heart. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, a string of kings, both good and bad, intermingled with prophets wooing and warning God’s people. We end the last chapter of the Old Testament with silence. And then 400 years later, God breaks the holy hush with the cry of a babe in a manger as the story picks back up in Bethlehem.

From God’s first question, “Where are you?” until Jesus’ final words, “It is finished,” we see God drawing mankind with cords of kindness that sometimes appear anything but kind—drawing people back to Himself with ties of love (Hosea 11:4). We’ve wiggled and wrangled trying to break free of those cords, but He continues to lasso us with love and draw us in again.

Passionate pursuit. He’s pulled out all the stops. Moved heaven and earth—literally—to win us back, to reestablish the glory that was lost in the Garden. As Tozer said, “The whole work of God in redemption is to undo the tragic effects of that foul revolt, and to bring us back again into right and eternal relationship with Himself.”

Most of us feel that we have to pursue God continually, as if He is hard to find. And as long as we believe that, our faith journey will be difficult. It will be arduous.

But didn’t Jesus say, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30)? And yet, easy and light are not words that come quickly to mind when women explain their faith journey to me.          

Make no mistake about it. God always makes the first move. Where do you think this glory ache comes from? God put it there! He is wooing you, stirring you, awakening a longing for Him in your soul.

Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, (John 6:44). He tunes the violin and pulls the bow across the strings of your heart and waits for you to recognize the melody wooing you into relationship with Him.

 

ARE YOU COMFORT-ABLE

 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV).


A storeowner was tacking a sign in his store window, which read PUPPIES FOR SALE, when a little boy appeared.

“How much are you selling the puppies for?” he asked.

The man told the lad he didn’t expect to let any of them go for less than $50.

The boy reached in his pocket, pulled out some change, looked up at the storeowner and said, “I have two dollars and thirty-seven cents. Can I look at them?”

The storeowner smiled and whistled. From the kennel, a dog named Lady came running down the aisle, followed by five tiny balls of fur. One puppy lagged behind. Immediately, the little boy asked about the limping puppy.

“What’s wrong with that doggie?”

“The veterinarian told us the dog is missing a hip socket,” said the storeowner. “He’ll always limp like that.”

“That’s the one I want to buy,” the lad said quickly.

The storeowner replied, “No, you don’t want to buy that dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

The boy came close to the storeowner’s face and said angrily, “I don’t want you to just give him to me. That doggie is worth just as much as all the other puppies and I’ll pay the full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now and .50 a month until I have him paid for!”

The storeowner replied, “No, no, no. You don’t want that dog. He’s never going to be able to run and jump and play like the other dogs.”          

In response, the little boy pulled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted left leg, supported by two steel braces.

“Well, sir,” he said, “I don’t run so well myself and that puppy will need someone who understands.” (Story from Puppies for Sale and Other Inspirational Tales by Dan Clark)

In 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV).

God does not comfort us simply to make us comfortable. God comforts us to make us comfort-able…able to comfort other people.

WHEN YOU DON"T SEE JESUS

“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you,” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT).

A crisis of belief occurs for most of us during difficult situations. We know that God is all-powerful and could rescue, heal, or save us at any time. So we tend to feel abandoned or duped when He doesn’t.

And you can bet your bottom dollar, Satan is going to be waiting in the wings to whisper doubts in your ear. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for just the right moment to discourage the wounded believer (1 Peter 5:8). He looks for the opportune time to trip you up and bring you down (Luke 4:13).

But even if you don’t feel Jesus’ presence in your life, He is still there.

The same day that Peter and John discovered the empty tomb, two of the disciples were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As the sacred city lay behind them, so did their hopes and dreams. While discussing the tragic events of the past weekend, another man appeared and began to walk alongside them.

“What are you talking about?” the man asked.

“Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know about what happened over the past few days?”

“What things?” the man asked.

Then the two disciples gave the traveler a blow-by-blow account of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, burial, and disappearance from the tomb. Their eyes were blinded by despair and they didn’t realize that hope was walking right alongside them. All they saw was the tragedy, but they missed seeing Jesus walking on the dusty road with them.

Perhaps you’ve traveled down your own dusty road to Emmaus with circumstances leaving you confused, troubled, and depressed. Perhaps you been discouraged and wondered: Where in the world is Jesus anyway?

If so, remember this my friend, just because we cannot see Jesus or sense His presence, does not mean that He is absent. Just because we can’t see Him working does not mean that He isn’t.

He is walking the path with you (Matthew 28:20).  

He is praying for you (Hebrews 7:25).

He is working on your behalf (John 5:17).

Jesus assures us with these words: “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NLT).

He gave His word. He gave His life.

Don't Give UP

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up (Galatians 6:9).

The story is told of a great pianist who was scheduled to perform for a small country town. Everyone in the town was excited since they rarely had the opportunity to hear a famous musician. A young mother was especially excited. Her son had been taking piano lessons and showed great promise …but he hated to practice. His mother was hoping that if her son saw the great pianist perform, he would be motivated to take his music more seriously.

The night of the concert finally arrived, and it seemed as if everyone in town had come. As the young mother settled her son in his seat, her attention turned to the crowd pouring in. Everyone was dressed in their finest, and a buzz of excitement filled the concert hall. No one noticed the little boy as he slipped out of his seat and made his way down the aisle toward the stage. No one noticed the little boy as he walked onto the stage, climbed up on the piano stool, and began to play “Chopsticks.”

The concert hall fell silent as every eye turned toward the stage. People began to yell, “Where is that child’s mother? How did he get on stage? Somebody get him down immediately! This is so embarrassing for our town!” The guest artist was standing in the wings, getting ready to make his entrance when he heard the shouts and saw and heard the little boy. Grabbing his jacket, the great pianist ran onto the stage, came up behind the little boy and placed his masterful hands on the keyboard beside the hands of the small child. The little boy was startled but did not move as the man whispered in the boy’s ear, “Don’t stop. Don’t quit. Keep going.” As the little boy began to play again, the great pianist began to play as well, composing a beautiful counter melody to “Chopsticks.”

I know some of you are ready to give up and quit. Some mountain is standing between you and the dream you thought was sure to become a reality. You think God has lost track of where you are and what you are going through. He hasn’t. That is a lie from the pit and smells like smoke. Don’t buy it!

I know you don’t understand why a loving God would allow so much pain to saturate this broken world and perpetuate such loss and hurt. I don’t either. But God’s ways are so much higher than my ways, and His thoughts are for my eternal good – not my temporary comfort. I am banking on eternity. I am counting on the character of God and His heart of unconditional, unmerited, and undeserved love.

God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness give me the strength to get out of bed each morning, and His peace is my comfort in the dark, lonely night. Like you, I sometimes ask God why He has allowed a circumstance to exist. I have questioned His favor and allowed fear and worry to make me doubt His plan. And I have to tell you that I can now look back and see so many of the question marks yanked into exclamation points in my life. I am so thankful that He said “no” to so many of the prayers I desperately wanted Him to answer with “yes.” He is God. He is able and He is more than enough.

Don’t stop! No matter where you are today, know He is with you and that His heart is for you.

Don’t quit. He is not angry with you. You are His daughter, the apple of His eye and His cherished child.

Don’t give up. Right now, surrender all of your pain to Him. Shed your tears, knowing He will collect them all and one day pour them back into your life as a refreshing rain of restoration and healing.

Keep going. Ask your questions, knowing Heaven is not in a panic and that your God really is who He says He is and will do what He has promised to do. He simply waits for you to trust Him.