Pray Your Way Through It

 Life is filled with so many challenges. In the church we serve, recently two families had transmissions go out in  their vehicles, and two families had to replace their air conditioning units for their homes. Later on this morning, Brenda and I will go to the hospital for one of the members of our youth group having surgery. We have two other people battling mysterious ailments the doctors cannot diagnose and treat. This leaves family members frustrated and bewildered as they watch their loved ones continue to suffer. These are just the ones I know about. 

I see in the eyes of some of our students the pain and sorrow of the living hell they have to endure. I can only speculate what they have to trudge through everyday. Some are verbally abused. Others face far worse. On top of that, is the constant peer pressure to reject God and pursue a life of sinful pleasures ignoring God's standards. Some of these students are addicted to screen time and all  that comes with having access to anything good or evil at their fingertips. There is also the issue of bullying through social media where some students get pounded on relentlessly. I even heard about a group of moms doing this to a football player in a neighboring town to the point the player quit the team because of the social media criticism. 

I saw one of our church members last night. She wore a very visible bandage with blood spots on it. I made my way down to her at a public event to offer a prayer. I heard from a parent concerned about a health issue with a child yesterday. There are the daily stresses at work relayed to me by others who live with the stress of having to deal with people. There are financial stresses too. Mental health is a real issue many fight for everyday. 

It seems we go from trial to the next trial. We no more than get through one when the next one waits on the horizon. The constant pressure is too much for some. They sink into disabling depression. Others use addictions to cope. Some withdraw and sit in the shadows licking their wounds. Those who are children of God are often confused, frustrated, and even infuriated that God does not provide the long sought relief. 

How are we supposed to handle these difficult times? The same way people of God have handled them in world wars, the Great Depression, the Holocaust, terrorist attacks, the assassination of a president, the ongoing persecution of Christians around the world, cancer, cognitive decline, and the death of loved ones. YOU HAVE TO PRAY YOUR WAY THROUGH IT. You must cling to the truth that God is good and faithful. You must hang onto His word even if you are barely hanging on by your fingertips. You have to pray even when you do not feel like praying. You have pray through it even when it feel like God has abandoned and forsaken you. You must pray through it when the answer is delayed and slow in coming. You have to keep praying because you have nowhere else to turn. God is all we have, and He is all we need to get through the tough times. 

The Bible is filled with stories of suffering people and encouraging truths to persevere. Take for example, Moses dealing with a million angry people who wanted to stone him because they were hungry and thirsty. Moses turned to God in those times and prayed some very frank prayers. We can draw strength from David when King Saul hunted him down like a wild animal, and David lived as a fugitive. David prayed through it. There is Elijah, that great prophet, who sank into depression, but in prayer heard the still small voice of God that brought him out of  those toxic thoughts. There is Jesus in the Garden praying with sweat drops of blood for the cup of the crucifixion to pass from Him, but finding peace to surrender to the will of God. There is Paul beaten and bloodied in prison fastened in chains singing and praying at midnight. THEY ALL PRAYED THEIR WAY THROUGH IT. 

That is what each of us is going to have to do over and over again through life's journey. I had to do that on Monday afternoon. I had multiple things hit at once. I felt overwhelmed, heavy laden, and unclear as to what to do. I told our secretary I was going to the other end of the building to pray. Even while in there the pressures did not stop on the outside, though I was shut up with God alone is secret prayer. I prayed my way through it, and found the needed solutions to handle the situations. Some situations take more prayer than others. Praying your way through it may require long seasons of secret prayer intensified by fasting. 

I know from reading scripture, reading biographies, and listening to others that people prayed their way through tough times. We all can do the same. [Luke 18:1] Let us pray our way through it and not lose heart.