“The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.” (Nahum 1:7 NLT)
It was my friend, JW, who taught me to thank God for the middle. Let me back up and start from the beginning...
I was raised to pray before starting anything--before meals, before school, before tests, before trips, before living in a new home, before driving a new car, etc. I also knew to thank God after finishing any venture. But I had trouble trusting God in between. I would try to power through with sheer determination and hard work. When things got tough, I would resort to self-pity and complaining. Until one day, my friend JW shared her method of praying through these troubling middle portions of life.
Express gratitude to God for working on your concerns.
I was used to writing out things for which I am thankful, but I always waited for my prayers to be answered, for projects to be completed, and for problems to be resolved. This prevented me from recognizing God in the midst of my troubles. I acted as if He were not always near! I started writing out my prayers of gratitude in the middle of the trenches. I did this every morning, often writing down the same sentences day after day. It helped me to hand over my concerns to God, to trust Him to take care of them.
Lord, thank you for working on ________ (issue, concern, person). Grant me patience, wisdom, and strength while I wait for You to take care of this.
No comments:
Post a Comment