A Prayer to Remember God’s Past Help
By Tiffany Thibault
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! - Psalm 4:1
There are so many circumstances in our lives that can cause us to feel overwhelmed, uncertain and most definitely fearful. As we purposefully choose to make right decisions in the midst of all the hard choices, we can always find fresh comfort in the Scriptures.
In every single situation in our life, whether it be a good one or a difficult one, we can also turn to the Lord in prayer. He is always alert, always ready to hear our prayers, and whether we can see it or not, He is always at work in our lives.
The amazing thing about walking this life with Jesus, is that each and every time that we turn to Him for guidance and for wisdom, He shows up. As we continue through life, trusting Him, we begin to build a “faith” history with Him. We can remind ourselves of what He has already done, which actually strengthens our faith when we turn to Him again and again to ask for His help in every one of our next steps.
I love to read the stories in the Old Testament where the Israelites set up tangible reminders of moments when God moved in their lives.
The Israelites set up 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River to remind themselves and future generations that God had shown up and moved on their behalf (Joshua 4:1-11).
Abraham named the mountain top “The Lord will provide” in reference to God providing a ram as a substitute sacrifice instead of his son (Genesis 22).
The Israelites built an ark in accordance with God’s design and in it were placed the tablets of laws given to Moses by God, and it also included Aaron’s staff and a jar of manna that God fed the people with for so many long years. This was a symbol for all to see to remind themselves of God’s continual presence and provision (Exodus 16:34, Numbers 17:10).
Jacob set up a stone altar and named it Bethel, for God had met him there (Genesis 28:18-22).
We too can set up spiritual reminders of our faith journey with the Lord. Here are a few easy ways that we can do that: It can be a date and notes next to a verse in our Bibles, it can be a set of stones with moments inscribed on them in the garden. It can be a plaque on the wall with the dates and events where God showed up, or it can be a list of answered prayers written in the back of your Bible.
We keep photo books of our families growing up, so that we can remember all the good times. When I look at photo books of my family, I crave even more family time. When I look back on how God showed up and worked in my life, my faith grows and I am able to find the strength to get through my next season.
However it may look in your life, you too need a tangible reminder of what God has already done in your life. Then when the moments seem long, and the struggles are hard, you can turn to them and find strength from your history with God so you can take your next steps. There is never a moment when God has not been there with you. Let’s remind ourselves of how He gave us relief when we were in distress, and let us walk boldly in faith knowing that He will hear our prayers this time as well.
O Lord,
You have been so good to me in the past. You have heard my prayers, you have seen my tears. When I called out to you while I was in distress, You have answered me. Over and over again you have shown yourself to be true, to be strong. Lord, today I come to you once again. My burdens are so heavy, and I need you to help me through this new trouble. Be gracious to me Lord. Hear my prayer. Please move today in my hard situations. Please move in my heart so that I might praise you through this storm.
In your Name I pray, Amen.
Tiffany Thibault enjoys living life with her husband, two teenage daughters and one very large dog. She loves to write and speak about Jesus. She loves long walks, a rainy day and a good cup of coffee. You can find her over at www.TiffanyThibault.com.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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Originally published Friday, 19 November 2021.
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