“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
God lets us go through a series of brokenness in our life so we will know that He can be the source of our strength. We often do not understand His purpose for letting us go through this. Maybe He wants to change your heart first before He changes your situation. Or maybe God wants to use your life to bless others. It is also possible that He is directing you on a different path until you are ready to receive His great blessings. But one thing is for sure, He has a greater purpose for it.
To be able to endure tribulations, we must remember to pray for three things: We must pray to recognize His sovereignty, despite the discomforts we will face; we must pray to have the willingness to obey because He wants to bless us; and finally, we must wait on Him because He wants us to rely on His supernatural power.
Pray to recognize God’s sovereignty
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28
The God who created the universe created you and me too. His omniscience and omnipotence must bring peace to our lives. We have to learn how to acknowledge that He is complete and perfect. So if we know that the God who created everything loves us, we must rest in the fact that He has our best interest at heart. He won’t do anything to hurt and harm us because He knows us better than we know ourselves.
Father God in heaven, You are majestic. You are everlasting and sovereign. Please forgive me for the times I forget Who You are. I am sorry for neglecting Your character and failing to trust You. I pray that I will always recognize Your work in my life, that I will never forget Your wondrous works. Thank You because You have the best plans for me. I bring You back the honor and glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pray to obey
“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.” Psalm 128:1
Our role doesn’t stop in praying. We are not called to sit around until God does something. We are to consistently seek His will and rely on His strength, regardless of whether it’s hard or not. We are to endure the pain of discipline in exchange for the pain of regret. We have to constantly yield to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives. Our role is to be willing to obey His commandments so we can gain wisdom on how to live through the tribulations in our life.
Lord, please change my heart. I want to obey You all the days of my life. I pray that I will always abide in Your guidance and protection. Help me discern what is pleasing in Your eyes. Allow me to be a good follower of You. And lastly, please break my heart for what breaks Yours. I am sorry for the times I put my desires first before Your discipline. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pray to wait
“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31
The best things in life don’t happen according to our timeline. Sometimes, it will take weeks or months. But what if it turns in a year or two? Or maybe more? If we don’t see changes, we must keep on waiting. There will be days where you can’t handle trials anymore, but God is faithful to fulfill His promise of the strength of an eagle. But this promise is only available to those who wait for Him.
Heavenly Father, thank You because not one of Your promises has ever failed. I pray that I will learn to be faithful in the waiting season. I trust that You will fulfill Your promise of the strength of an eagle. Please help me endure the tribulations of my life with so much faith in You. So, in the end, I will not only be strong, but I will also gain victory because of You. I want to glorify You with my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.