A Prayer for Those Still Lost
By: Meg Bucher
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” - Philippians 2:1-2 NIV
The grass crept in on both sides of us, until we had to put one foot directly in front of the other in order to follow the rapidly disappearing trail. Overgrown and clearly less traveled than the other routes on the trail map, we stayed the course. Alone, in the middle of the Northern Michigan woods, on a new trail, with my two daughters, I started to see imaginary eyeballs popping out of every bit of brush.
We dodged poison ivy, oak, and who knows what else, panicked and uncertain we were even on a trail anymore. Eventually, we joined up with the main trail, and decided never to venture off of it again! When it comes to hiking in the woods, maps do not exceed experience in importance.
We’re not all traveling the same trail through the woods of life, but most of us recognize the fearful feeling of being lost. There are many of us who have yet to learn how unreliable our own internal compass is, and the difficultly of the conditions of the trail in different seasons.
Others of us have logged miles of hiking experience, surviving close calls and celebrating victoriously new discovered views.
In Christ, we are to show compassion, care, and respect for all the people God has placed in our lives, even the ones still naively lost in the forest of their own lives. As the family of God, believers are to seek peace, exude forgiveness, and be relatable. We’re just as messed up as the guy on the other trail… in fact, we’ve probably traveled that trail. The only difference is Jesus. We are called to reciprocate the encouragement, comfort, common sharing, tenderness and compassion of Christ.
Do you know someone wandering around his or her life, trying to make sense of it apart from Jesus? Take a moment today to pray for that soul, that the scales would fall from their eyes and they would see clearly the path to Christ.
Father,
These are trying times, and we all feel a little lost in the woods some days. But we know You are not hidden, and no different, than You were yesterday. You are not surprised. In fact, You are in control. Forgive our condemning spirits towards those learning to traverse trails we, ourselves, have walked. Above all of our plans and solutions, You sit sovereign and unmoved. Father, help us find our stability in You through Christ. To receive encouragement, comfort, common sharing in the Spirit, tenderness and compassion from our Savior, Jesus. Let our lives be obvious signs of Your grace and forgiveness. May all of the ways You uplift us, flow out of us and onto the people You have placed in our lives.
In Christ, we have a freedom that can never be stripped away. Let us not cower in fear during pressing times, Father, but flex our freedom in Christ Jesus. Show us who needs to be encouraged and comforted, LORD. Uphold us to obey when it’s not easy or convenient. Comfort and embolden us to live fully, as Christ came for us to live.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Meg Bucher writes about everyday life within the love of Christ as an author, freelance writer and blogger at Sunny&80. Her first book, “Friends with Everyone,” is available on amazon.com. She earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University, but stepped out of the business world to stay at home and raise her two daughters. Besides writing, she leads a Bible Study for Women and serves as a Youth Ministry leader in her community. She lives in Northern Ohio with her husband, Jim, and two daughters.
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Originally published Tuesday, 08 September 2020.
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