Now that we are settled into the year, reality hits. We look at the calendar and see challenges ahead—a job that we’re not sure where it’s going, family problems that seem to be taking a wrong direction, or health concerns that seem to be taking a rapid downhill trajectory. We naturally want a roadmap that doesn’t just avoid the potholes, we want them filled in.
If you’re like me, then often we pray “get me out of this!” That’s my natural way to pray. I don’t like what’s happening, or I don’t want it to be like this. I envision a solution I like that would be better and make life easier. I want to substitute things in my life for what I believe is better.
But often God doesn’t answer our prayers by substituting illness for health, a perfect job that comes out of the blue, or that family member suddenly making right decisions.
So often God seems to want us to go through transformation, not substitution.
When Paul prayed three times for the removal of his “thorn”, I think he was asking God for a substitution: “Give me health instead of sickness, deliverance instead of pain.”
But, God didn’t do that. He told Paul that his grace would be sufficient for him. And Paul accepted that and started to see his difficulties in a different light.
I have to think that Paul took some time to get there. And that’s the same for us. It can take us a while to say to God, “if this situation is not going to change, then help me see it in a different light. Or “take away my desire to see change and give me an attitude to live well within the circumstances that I face.”
In his love and compassion, God will give us the strength to change, so we see our circumstances as he sees them. God will give us the strength to realize that if this is his will, then he will give us the strength to face what is ahead. We can move from “God, fix my life” to “God, fix me.”
Where do you need courage to ask God to change you and not your circumstances? Where do you need, not the grit to fight your way out of every problem, but the courage to ask: “God, how do you want to transform me through this?”
To get to this place of acceptance, we often have to spend more time with God. It’s like walking through the valley but we are on the move and we are not alone, God walks with us.
Perhaps you want to use these prayer prompts:
“I don’t like what I face and I want it to change. If it’s going to stay the same, then change how I look at it.”
“God if you’re not going to answer my prayer to get me out of this. Then change me to see the strength you give me to stay in this.”
“Lord, take away my desire for _________________. Give me a desire that fits your plans for my life.”
“Lord, help me know that you are giving me what it takes.”
Pause and Pray
Lord, give me the courage to face this year.
If you do not remove the obstacles, then use them to transform me.
I trust that your grace will work for me, and not against me.
Amen.
Go Deeper
Naomi thought her life was over. She prayed for relief, but God had a bigger plan for her transformation. In Pray Naturally, we see in Day 83 how God provided a “Guardian-Redeemer” who didn’t just fix her temporary problem, but secured her future and legacy.
Naomi moved from calling herself “Bitter” to being the grandmother of kings. If you are waiting for a turnaround, let Naomi’s story encourage you that God is often working on a redemption story you cannot yet see. Join me in Pray Naturally to see how God provides for your future in unexpected ways.
Hannah knew what it was like to pray for a substitution—asking God to remove her barrenness and give her a child. Yet, before her prayer was answered, she experienced a profound transformation. In Pray Naturally, we walk with Hannah through her “deep anguish” in Day 100, where she discovers God’s peace even before her circumstances change.
Hannah learned that pouring out her pain to God brought a restfulness that exceeded her understanding. If you are waiting for God to “fix it,” let Hannah show you how to find peace in the middle of the problem. Grab your copy of Pray Naturally to find the words to pray when you are walking through the valley.
