A Prayer for Growth During Trials
By Meg Bucher
“You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts.” Jeremiah 12:2 NLT
Nothing grows us like hardship. Scripture says the Lord disciplines those He loves, like a good parent disciples their children. But sometimes, the hard things we walk through have nothing to do with our moral failures. Life on earth just hurts sometimes, even when we are following the Lord wholeheartedly and purely.
In this section of Scripture, Jeremiah is being plotted against, and his own family is even in on it. The verse above is part of his plea to the Lord for justice on his behalf. Similar to the story of Job, we are reminded of the difficult reality of watching those who operate in wickedness prosper in this world, and the call for forgiving those who are plotting against us. The Moody Bible Commentary says, “If Jeremiah could trust in God only in a time of peace, how would he manage in the midst of difficulties?”
For the last five months, I have watched my daughter walk through her diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes. She has clung to the Lord, from the emergency room at the beginning to the current effect on her daily life. It’s been hard. It’s unfair. It’s painful. Somedays, no matter what she does, her condition sidelines her. But the Lord never fails. He is growing her at the speed of light through the hardest thing she’s ever had to walk through.
Today, let’s pray that the difficult seasons of our lives will draw us closer to the Lord, allowing Him to grow us at the speed of light.
Let's pray:
Father,
We praise You when life is easy, and we praise You when life is hard. Through the difficult seasons of our lives, we know You are the same loving God You have always been. Father, You see us in our struggles and our anguish when we suffer. God, this world is full of pain and heartache, but you will make all things right again one day. We hang our hope in Christ Jesus, who died to save us, to wash us with forgiveness and restore us to righteousness. May our daily pursuit of holiness grow us at the speed of light, Father. Though hardships naturally draw us to Your feet in urgency, Father, let us come before You always and every day, no matter what we face.
Father, today I pray for my daughter, and every Type 1 diabetic in the world, suffering from a disease they did nothing to contract, but now affects every page of their lives. Father, I pray for everyone undergoing diseases that unfairly uproot everyday life as we know it. Hardship is a part of enduring this life on earth. Father, we know this, but we can’t stand on our own two feet without you when hard days still seem like tidal waves. We don’t have the strength apart from you to stand up under the weight of the world which presses up against us.
Lord, bless our lives with growth and gains in our walk with You. Let us come closer to Christ each day we live, so even in the direst of straights we do not forget Your goodness. You are worthy, God, of our praise. You are worthy of our whole hearts. Remove any distractions from our lives, and help us to focus on You and Your Truth.
Father, we know not everyone You created is walking in Your Light at all times. Help us to forgive forward, God. Let us forgive those who come against us, and unfairly plot against us. Father give us the strength to forgive those who don’t know the bite of their words and the insensitive of their questions. Help us choose not to be offended, and instead look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. We were once a mess, too, Father, before we turned our lives over to You completely. Help us to remember when we were lost, so we can have compassion for those who do not know You. Let our everyday lives and all the hardship we endure bring honor and glory to Your name.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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Originally published Wednesday, 11 May 2022.
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