Uncomfortable Prayer

by Dec 27, 2019Devotional0 comments

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up.

      Teresa of Ávila said, “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.”
      Praying God’s will for your life can be uncomfortable. God might ask you to do something that seems to be an enormous request. Nonetheless, it has been asked. When Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, it was not a pleasant time. It was a time to come to grips with why Jesus came to earth. Luke 22:42b Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. The courage it took for Jesus to say, “Your will be done” was immense. 

      God may ask you to forgive someone for doing something so heinous and brutal, even though the brutality affected your life. The Lord may ask you to sacrifice something that means so much to you. No matter the degree of difficulty in the natural, we still have to come to God in prayer, and it may be very uncomfortable. God is moved by faith and not the hardships we are going through. Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
      I had a discussion with my uncle who is having a hard time forgiving two people in his life. One of them is dead, and the other is alive. The interesting thing is that the one who is dead, has so much power over my uncle’s life, even though this person is no longer on this earth. The bitterness and resentment my uncle is feeling are being controlled by someone long in the grave. My uncle was being weighed down in anxiety because he could not forgive the past. Prov. 12:25a Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down.
      I explained to him – as uncomfortable as it is, he is going to have to forgive the actions that were done to him many years ago. God was asking him to forgive a dead man so that my uncle could be set free to go on living. “This is not an easy prayer,” he said. The discomfort came when it was clear that my uncle wanted grace for himself but the judgment of God on those who had hurt him. He only started to get his peace when he asked God to help him forgive the living and the dead. I heard someone say, “What the tongue promises, the body must follow.” If the tongue forgives, the body, soul, and mind will heal.
      We wouldn’t need a saviour if we could do all these hard things on our own. We need our Lord’s help in all our lives and all that we do. Phil. 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Whether we need deliverance from sin we participate in regularly, or we are dealing with a monstrous challenge in our life, we need to get down to some prayer time with the Lord no matter how uncomfortable it seems. 
      When Daniel was in the lion’s den, it was not a comfortable place to pray from or situation to be in. But all he could do was pray. When Jonah was in the belly of the great fish, it was most definitely not a comfortable place to pray or be in. But, again, what choice did Jonah have but to pray? Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish. After being whipped and chained in the deepest dungeon, Paul and Silas prayed and praised God in the discomfort of their pain and humiliation. These people prayed uncomfortable prayers in uncomfortable times but ended up in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
      Our Heavenly Father may be asking us to do some hard things. It will take prayer and we may not have a nice comfortable closet to pray in. We may be in the depths of our despair, pain, or suffering. The discomfort might even be palpable. Nonetheless, what else are we going to do? Psalm 121:1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! That is it, saints. We keep looking to God in all our trials and hard times.
      We may be in a place of uncomfortable prayer because of a terrible situation. But, when a good word comes from God, our hearts will lose the anxiety that weighed it down. We will rise in the confidence of our God who loves us. 1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
      Father, we press into your eternal love and guidance. Many of us are going through very hard times and need your help. We ask for your help, courage, and strength as we go through the valley of shadows with our Lord and Saviour Jesus. We thank you, Lord, that through Christ, we have the victory for our lives, now and evermore. Amen!
Find Other Devotions About:

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sir Norm’s Proverbial Comment

Stop Watering Dead Plants

Fear Of Normal

Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked fears will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. The amazing transformation that took place in the mind, body, and soul of the madman of Gadara is a powerful demonstration of the love and power of Jesus Christ....

The Best Day Of My Life

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.              There are a lot of self-proclaimed gurus, life coaches, and mind-altering advisors these days vying for our attention. They claim we can create...

A Voice Of Understanding

Proverbs 8:1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?         John 1:23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ” There is a vast wilderness of...

Fooled By Tomorrow

Proverbs 3:28 Do not say to your neighbour, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you.         I was talking with my friend David who over the last six months, has beat a few addictions and is still overcoming them day by day. I...

Honourable Mentions

Proverbs 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.              In the Pastoral Epistle of 2 Timothy 1 verses 16 to 18, there is an honourable mention of the help Paul received from Onesiphorus. Who...

Just A Blanket

Proverbs 18:17 There are two sides to every story. The first one to speak sounds true until you hear the other side and they set the record straight.          In the fall of 1998, I was trying to understand the war between the Serbs and Croats, and like most ethnic...

Oh Goodness

Proverbs 2:9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity — every good path.       When God appeared to Moses in the wilderness, why didn't God show Moses His perfection, righteousness, justice, or holiness? Of all the attributes that God could have...

A Real Tell-All Book

Proverbs 20:19 One who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a gossip.       I was shaking my head the other day when a news reporter was describing a new tell-all book about a person of celebrity status. The gist of the report was...

Satan Grins At Hidden Sins

Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy. I heard the expression, "We are as sick as our secrets.” and I was reminded of people who have chosen to walk in disobedience to God's directions and...

In Faith We Trust

Proverbs 13:13 He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.         Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who...

The Lie You Are Living

Proverbs 29:12 If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisers will be wicked.         The above proverb has an interesting twist to it. If I am living a lie, then my counsel or advice to myself will be corrupt because I will continue to propagate the lie I am...

Mythical Beings And Mysteries

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.              Mythical beings that have risen from folklore and superstition throughout history are strange and sometimes comical. Centaurs, vampires, werewolves,...

AudioReads

Darkness Bleeds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvnlBYHLQb0 It is easy to flow with the crowd. Make up your own mind on what you see going on in people's lives.

Spiritually Empty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrzTcPZcWQ8   If you find yourself spiritually empty, then fill yourself up with God and all that He has for you.

God In A Box

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFLy9PTBMNI We cannot contain God within any human device or box. However, we can have Him live in our hearts. How great is that?