Praying Through the Difficult Times

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Praying Through the Difficult Times

Andrea Lende • December 30, 2021

Mark 4:34-36

Praying Through the Hard Times

You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Praying-Through-the-Difficult-Times-e1cb31r

Mark 4:34-36

“And He said to them, My soul is exceedingly sad (overwhelmed with grief) so that it almost kills Me! Remain here and keep awake and be watching.”

“And going a little father, He fell on the ground and kept praying that if it were possible the [fatal] hour might pass from Him.”

“And He was saying, Abba, [which means] Father, everything is possible for You. Take away this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You [will].”

Jesus was experiencing a most difficult moment.

The moment just before He was arrested, then beaten, and later killed.

Our verse says His soul was exceedingly sad and overwhelmed with grief.

There are times we may feel this way too.

Or at least we think we do.

We haven’t experienced exactly what Jesus did because we’re still here, and His next few days took Him to His death.

But we’ve all certainly felt overwhelmingly sad before.

So, what did Jesus do during His most distressing moments?

He prayed.

Our verse says He kept praying.

What did He pray for?

He prayed for God to deliver Him but most of all that God’s will be done.

When I go through really difficult times, it’s hard to pray for God’s will over my own because I don’t want to experience the hard parts of life.

However, they are inevitable.

We may never know or understand why a certain trial came our way.

We may feel like we will never recover from it and we’ll no doubt never be the same.

However, the Lord will go through the fire with us.

Our defense is to pray just like Jesus did.

When all seems lost, pray, and then pray some more.

Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the Lord will walk through the fire with us.

He will protect our spirits and keep us His.

Jesus died on the cross to make it so.

No matter what this life brings, we are His for eternity and cannot be snatched out of His hand.

John 10:29 says, “My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand.”

We can hold onto this promise in the storms of life.

We are God’s and will always be His.

Today I am grateful the Lord is with me in the storms of life, and grateful He will keep me His for eternity.

May you find you are held safe in God’s mighty hands today and forever.

Daily Prayer:

O Lord, my God, thank You for Your promise to keep me Yours forever. Thank You for holding me safely in Your arms. Thank You for holding me up during the storms of this life. Thank You for keeping me from being burned in the fires of life. Help me find cool refreshing rest in You today, Lord. Increase my faith. Keep me seeking You even amidst the chaos. Do not let me fall from Your arms, Lord. Lift me high above this world and into heaven. Keep me Yours, Lord. Thank You for all You do for me and all You are. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.

Answer: I AM with you My child and will hold you up through the storms of your life.

Response: Keep me Yours, Lord, keep me Yours.

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By Andrea Lende • December 26, 2022

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This is a picture of red Christmas balls and the words Merry Christmas

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By Andrea Lende • December 20, 2022

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