Always Pray and Don’t lose heart

Have you ever experienced this? Problems accumulate, and your circumstances worsen. Every minor issue seems to bother you, making you feel like you’re under attack. All you can focus on is the current problem, and you’re at a loss for solutions, unable to see a way out.

In such times, we must pause, take a deep breath, and pray that God would open our eyes, help us perceive His perspective, and trust in Him to find a way when it seems impossible.

David penned Psalm 3:3-4 while fleeing from his son Absolam.

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.”

In his fear and anxiety, what did David do? He prayed to God, and He rescued him.

In 2Chronicles 20:1-23, Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah faced numerous challenges and adversaries.

What did Jehoshaphat do? He sought the Lord, proclaimed a fast, made others aware of the struggle, and set his face and fixed his eyes on seeking the Lord. He didn’t focus on the magnitude of his problems; instead, he focused on God and His potential to overcome them.

In 2Kings 6:17, Elisha’s servant Gehazi was afraid due to an approaching army. However, Elisha saw the bigger picture and prayed that the Lord would open Gehazi’s eyes and help him perceive the situation.

Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

“With Thanksgiving”.  Sometimes it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the trials and challenges we face. But it’s important to remember that God wants us to be thankful, even in difficult circumstances. By being thankful, we’re showing our obedience to His word. It’s not always easy, and many of us would prefer to have God remove our trials. However, Jesus in John 16:33, promised that we would face trials, but that we could find peace in Him, just as He overcame, so can we. He also promised to be with us through our trials, as stated in Isaiah 43:2.

Perhaps we can learn to be thankful for our trials because they allow us to see God’s faithfulness and find our strength in Him. Just like Jehoshaphat, when we’re afraid and overwhelmed by life’s challenges, we can seek the Lord and pray for His guidance, as mentioned in 2 Chronicles 20:3.

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus encourages us to seek Him first and trust that everything else will be taken care of. 

In 2Chronicles 20:1-23, the people came together to seek the Lord. They weren't relying on their own strength. But they were remembering the power/strength of their God. 

1John 4:4 reminds us, “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

And God promises us, in Jeremiah 29:12-13, that when we cry out to Him He will hear us! When we seek Him, we will find Him! 

Another thing I noticed in 2Chronicles 20:1-23 was that as the people sought the Lord, prayed, waited on Him, and trusted in His plan, they were also praising Him. In verse 21, they said, “Give thanks to the Lord for His steadfast love endures forever!” We can do the same! As we give our burdens to the Lord and wait for His guidance, we can rejoice in Him always, as Paul says.

Have you ever noticed how singing praise songs almost always lifts your spirits and makes you feel better? 

Even David, when the Lord rescued him from his enemies and Saul, praised the Lord! In 2 Samuel 22:2-4 (NIV), he expressed his gratitude, saying, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge, and my savior—from violent people, you save me. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.”

Colossians 4:2 advises, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

What does it mean to “continue steadfastly in prayer”? Perhaps it means persisting even when you don’t see any immediate change.  Jesus in Luke 18:1, teaches His disciples, “a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”

Paul, in Colossians, also emphasizes the importance of being “watchful in prayer.” So, what does it mean to be “watchful”? It may involve paying attention, taking notice, and observing how God responds to your prayers. Sometimes, the answers may come in unexpected ways, even in small ways.

So, to summarize, let’s remember to be thankful, pray like Jehoshaphat in 2Chronicles 20:12, “…We do not know what to do but our eyes are on you.” Take our eyes off our problems, focus on God, and ask Him to help us to see. Then as Paul in Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice.”