Despairing Prayers

I rejoice and celebrate when a prayer is answered. Last week, I spent a whole morning in ecstatic joy over the news that a friend’s estranged son had made contact with her. I thank God every day when my son and husband return home safely. Prayers of gratitude and praise are always uplifting to my spirit. I’m eager to talk about these answered prayers to anyone who will listen. Yet, I also lose heart when my prayer does not bring about the results for which I had hoped. I get weary, despondent, and demoralized. I fall into (what I like to call) ‘des-prayer’—despairing prayers filled with desperate pleas, negotiations, questioning, begging, and expressions of anger and disappointment.

Please, please, please, God—I promise to never take anything for granted, ever! Can’t you hear me? Are YOU there? I thought you would come through by now. Holy Spirit, groan through me, speak up for me. I’m tired of repeating the same prayers over and over again. Please, why can’t you just fix this now? Can’t you see how much he/she is suffering?

Unlike prayers of gratitude, which are uplifting,--‘des-prayers’ are draining. I feel dejected and discouraged. And since I don’t want to spread my misery, I keep these despairing prayers to myself. This is a mistake. Just as joyful praise brings glory to God, so does prayer during suffering. When we refuse to give up and keep confidently expecting God to take care of us—despite the worst conditions—we inspire others to do the same.

“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. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10 NLT)