Starting Your Own Relationship with Jesus Christ (And Why We Need Him!)

(Updated 3/12/20, to simplify it, add new stuff, and make it cleaner-looking.  I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.)

John 3: 16: “For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

God so loved the world.  He didn’t just love the world; He so loved the world.  He so loved the world that He (Jesus) would die in our place before He would miss out on an eternal relationship with us.  He knew that we would disappoint Him and hurt Him and fail Him, but He still so wanted a relationship with us that He made a way.  He knew that there would be many, many people that would reject His gift of love and salvation, but an eternity spent with those who would choose Him was worth the price of dying on the cross.  That is some amazing love!

Let me ask you something: If you were to die today or if Jesus came back today, would you be ready?  Seriously.  This life as we know it isn't going to go on forever.  And we are not invincible.  People die every day, in every kind of way.  Are you ready to face eternity, whatever comes the moment after you take your last breath?  Have you figured out who Jesus is and why He matters so much?

Because this will be what matters most the moment after you die.  Actually, it's what matters most in this lifetime, too, because it greatly affects what happens the moment after you die.

Atheism and World Religions (repost)

I am much more willing to believe that there is a God and that He is choosing to not answer my prayers the way I want ... than to believe that there is no God just because life isn't going the way I want it to.

It is narrow-minded, self-centered pride to think that God should always answer my prayers the way I want Him to.  It is foolishness to decide that there must not be a God just because life isn't going my way.  There is far too much evidence of a Creator for me to base my belief in Him simply on what He does or doesn't do in my own little life.



[This is also taken from the Bible study I wrote.  FYI – like the other reposts, it’s very long.]

            In this lesson, I combined parts of several posts from https://myimpressionisticlife.blogspot.com.  This lesson in not really an academic “study” of atheism and world religions, but it’s a very personal account of why I could never give up my faith in Jesus, why those other options are not for me, and how I would explain salvation and faith in Jesus to a non-believer. 

            Christianity isn’t a squeaky clean, “everything goes smoothly and life is always what I want it to be” kind of faith.  It can be messy and painful and difficult. 

            Due to many trials which have caused me to struggle deeply with my faith, I’ve become a little less polished and a lot more real over the years.  This is why I included this lesson and the depression one.  Because I really wanted to show the very real, human side of being a believer in Jesus, how we can struggle enormously with heartache and pain and doubt and fear . . . and yet still cling to Him.

            This will be a long lesson (I tried to cut it down as much as I could) because I will be looking at several different things which all relate to what we choose to believe and why: atheism, world religions, evidence to support the Bible and Jesus, and how I would describe salvation and faith in Jesus to someone.  

Why I Could Never be an Atheist

            “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”  (Psalm 14:1)

             “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”  (Romans 1:20)

The End Times (repost)

            (Reposted directly from a post about the End Times in the Bible Study I wrote.  I don’t know, but something about all the hurricanes and earthquakes and solar flares and society going more “cash-less” and the terrorism and the martyring of Christians and the disease epidemics and the technology to put little radio transmitters into people’s hands containing their information and the various celestial events and a fast-approaching “one-world system” and a brewing civil war and a brewing world war, etc. … I don’t know, but something about all that makes it seems worthwhile to repost this post at this time.
            And to all those scoffers who say "None of this has anything to do with the end of the world" or "There is no 'end of the world' and Jesus isn't coming back again," I would like to ask you ... "Are you so sure!?!  Are you so sure that there isn't a supernatural world out there?  That there isn't a God who will someday do exactly what He said He'd do in His Word?  That He isn't moving and working in this world and about to bring this time to an end?  Are you so sure!?!  Even if the end doesn't come in our lifetime, it will come someday - in our own lives and for the world as we know it.  Are you prepared to face the truth?  Will you find the truth before it's too late?"     
            FYI, I didn’t repost all the questions at the end of Bible study here, just the main content.  Warning:  Don’t read this unless you are ready for a headache, ‘cuz your head will be spinning.)

            No study on the “less clear” things of Scripture would be complete without a look into the End Times.  There are many different ideas about how the world will end.  Of course, most Christians believe that it will end when Christ returns and God makes all things new.  But what isn’t clear is the timing of everything.  And the biggest “unclear” thing: Will there be a rapture?  Will it come before, during, or after the tribulation?

            I have studied this really intensely at different times over the years.  Reading every book on the topic that I could find, studying the Bible, checking the original Greek meaning of the words, etc.   To me, it is a huge, complex, wonderfully-frustrating puzzle.  And I could never really understand it . . . until this last time that I studied it.  And I was finally able to settle this issue in my mind once and for all. 

I Will Love You ... Always

            “How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me? . . . But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”  (Psalm 13:1, 5-6)

            “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him, . . .”  (Job 13:15)

            “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”  (Job 1:21)

                       

            Years ago, I saw the movie Facing the Giants.  And it was a good movie.  Last night (April 16, 2015, this is obviously a repost), I saw it again . . . and it was a great movie.  It touched my heart in ways it didn’t before.  And I pretty much cried through the whole thing.  (Good thing the lights were off so my family couldn’t tell.) 

I Just Want To Finish Well

Once again, I found myself in an emotional funk (this is a repost from 2014, yet it still seems to be where I’m at in 2017), feeling like I can’t accomplish anything.  Can’t give any one thing the effort and time it needs.  I am so stretched-thin in places.  The housework never gets done.  This house will never be "finished."  My cooking has seen better days.  There’s not enough time to do everything I want to do when it comes to taking care of my family.  I'm just one person, trying to do too much.  There's not enough "me" to go around.

I was feeling a little panicked that things were slipping away from me too fast, that I couldn’t get a grip on anything.  And then I picked up a movie from the library that really settled my heart.  Flywheel.  It’s an older one, the first one done by the people who made Courageous and Facing the Giants.  And I have to say that . . . it . . . is . . . good!  It’s really good, even if it’s a little old and primitive.

But the thing that sticks with me the most from it was the line that went like this: “I just want to finish well.” 

Broken

            It hurts to be broken. 

            It’s being vulnerable, taking a risk with our hearts . . . sometimes winning, sometimes losing. 

            It’s leaning on others and opening ourselves up to them, to trust, to hope.  Sometimes finding support and acceptance and help, being caught before we hit the ground.  And sometimes being let down and battered, falling flat on our faces when others pull back and fail to catch us. 

            Sometimes, it’s just a minor annoyance, a pain that we absorb with relative ease, realizing that we are better for it.  And sometimes, it’s more pain than we can bear, feeling like we’ll never be whole again, wanting to curl up in a ball in a dark, lonely corner and fall asleep forever. 

            Being broken hurts!   

And God Said ...

(reposted from a few years ago)

Not too long ago, I was going through a very discouraging “four-month funk.”  I was so stressed and depressed about life.  I felt like I couldn’t do anything right, and yet I kept trying and trying to accomplish something, anything.  All day, I would ruminate on all the things that were wrong, all the ways I was failing.  And I would plead with God to show me what more I needed to do to succeed.  My shoulders ached from being tense all the time.  My head hurt.  And the tears were always ready to burst forth.  

And one day, as I stood in my kitchen doing dishes, I asked God to help me.  To tell me one thing that He wanted me to do.  Whatever it was, I would do it.  I was failing, failing, failing … and I just wanted His leading in my life because I couldn’t do anything on my own.  What else did He want me to try?  What did I need to give up?  What needed to be pruned from my life?  What did I need to do to make things better?  What more could I do? 

Please, God, just tell me! 

And do you know what He said?  The big advice that He gave me in such a quiet whisper to my heart? 

“Turn up the music and dance!”

Turn up the music and dance!  As soon as I heard it, I knew that this is what I really needed to hear, what I really needed at that moment.  I didn’t need to keep trying so hard to accomplish something, to reach for something just beyond my grasp.  I didn’t need to try to make things better, to do more than what I was doing. 

I just needed to relax, to breathe, to celebrate the moment that He gave me as a gift. 

And so I did.  As the kids played outside, I turned up the music in my kitchen and just danced.  I shook out all of the stress and the ache, and I let the music fill me with delight and joy.  For a short time, I let go of my fears that I would fail and I grabbed onto the blessings of the moment instead.   

It filled me with joy to know that God knew what I really needed, that He cared enough about me to remind me to slow down and relax and enjoy the journey.  To breathe.  To smell the roses.  Pick a daisy.  Laugh with my kids.  Talk a walk. 

Sometimes, I make it harder than it needs to be.  I overwhelm myself with the idea that everything God asks us to do is going to be stressful and hard work and sacrifice and dying to self. 

But sometimes …

He just wants us to dance.     

Praying Scripture: When You Fear You're Failing in Life

            Proverbs 3:5-6:  “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

            Proverbs 16:3:  “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

            Colossians 3:23-24:  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Jesus you are serving.”

            1 Corinthians 10:31:   “ . . . whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 

            Romans 8:28:  “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

            Matthew 6:19-21:  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

            Matthew 25:21:  “… ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

            Lord, you know how anxious I am, how much I feel like I am failing at everything, like everything is falling down around me and I can’t keep it together.  I need You now, Lord.  I need to know that I am doing okay.  (And if I'm not, then I need to know what needs to change.) 

            Please, Lord, speak words of comfort to my anxious, despairing heart.  To the part of me that feels like I’m going to let You and everyone else down, no matter what I do or how hard I try.  To the part of me that just never feels “good enough.”

            Lord, You promise to work everything for good.  Please take my feeble efforts and use them for Your glory.  Make something beautiful out of my messes and my shortcomings.  Sometimes I feel like that’s all I am capable of – messes and shortcomings.  But I know You can turn them into something good, because Your Word says so.  I might not be able to do much, but please take the little I do and work it for Your glory.  (And reveal to me if there is something that I claim to do for Your glory and purposes but that I am actually doing for my own glory and purposes.) 

            Lord, You know my heart and my motives.  You know that I want to please You, that I am trying my best to do my best at the jobs You have given me.  Please, be glorified in that, and help me know that I am doing okay in Your eyes, for I feel like I am failing in the eyes of so many others, including my own.    

            You say that if we trust You and lean on You then You will make our paths straight.  Please, Lord, I am leaning on You now.  I don’t always know the right step to take, so I need You to straighten the path as I walk.  And when I don’t have the strength to keep walking, I need You to carry me.  And when I don’t even have the strength to stand, please, Lord, just hold me for awhile and let me know that it’s going to be okay. 

            Help me remember that it’s not my job to always know which way to go in life or to be “strong enough,” but that my job is simply to let You lead, to lean on You when I am weak, to follow You in daily obedience, to work at whatever I do with all my heart for Your glory, and to let You work it all out for good and for Your purposes.

            The Bible says that if I commit my plans to You, Lord, they will succeed.  Well, I am committing my plans to You – the work I do everyday.  I want to do it for Your glory, Your purposes, and Your kingdom.  Help me remember to do my best simply because it matters to You, because You see what I do and why I am doing it.  And what I do matters to You, even if no one else sees it.  Guide me along as I go, as I do the jobs You give me each day.  Lead me in the direction You want me to go.  Use my efforts as You want to, whether they appear successful to the world or not. 

            I know that I might not see the rewards of my work, my efforts, here on earth or on this side of eternity, but may I be successful, Lord, in Your eyes, in the heavenly realms.  Help me remember to always work for eternity, not for the things I can see.  Help me build up treasures in heaven as I wait to hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  For Your glory and Your kingdom.  Amen 

For more encouragement, also see https://lovehealme.blogspot.com/2017/08/war-rooms-praying-scripture-and.html

    

And an updated version:

Prayer for When You Feel Like You’re Failing:

Proverbs 3:5-6:  “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 16:3:  “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

Colossians 3:23-24:  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Jesus you are serving.”

1 Corinthians 10:31:   “ ... whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 

Romans 8:28:  “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Matthew 6:19-21:  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 25:21:  “… ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

 

          Lord, you know how anxious I am, how much I feel like I am failing at everything, like everything is falling down around me and I can’t keep it all together.  I need You now, Lord.  I need to know that I am doing okay.  (And if I'm not - if I am off-track somewhere in my life - then I need to know what You want me to do or to change so that I can get back on-track with You.)  Please, Lord, speak words of truth and comfort to my anxious, despairing heart.  To the part of me that feels like I’m destined to fail, no matter what I do or how hard I try.  To the part of me that just never feels “good enough.”            

          Lord, You promise to work everything out for good for those who love You.  Please take my feeble efforts and use them for Your glory.  Make something beautiful out of my mistakes and messes.  Sometimes I feel that’s all I am capable of – mistakes and messes.  And so I thank You that You are a God who is bigger than any mistake I make and who specializes in turning messes into something beautiful.  And so I will trust You to bring something good out of the bad things in my life, just because Your Word says it’s true.  Lord, I might not be able to do much, but please take the little that I can do and use it for Your glory and Your purposes.            

          Lord, You know my heart.  You know that I want to please You, that I am trying my best to do my best.  Please, be glorified by that.  Let it bring a smile to Your face, even if I keep stumbling along the way.  Thank You that even though You know I will always stumble, You love me anyway and will turn my stumbles into something good.  And even if others see me as a failure, You don’t.  You see me as a dearly loved child of Yours, one who You loved enough to die for, even though You know I am so very human.  But that’s okay.  Because You know we are human.  You made us human.  And You do not ask us to be superhuman.  You just ask us to be real with You, to seek You, need You, trust You, love You, and obey You.  And You will make our paths straight.  You will turn our futures into something good. 

          Please, Lord, I am leaning on You now.  Guide me in straightening out the areas of my life that need to be straightened out.  I don’t always know the right step to take, so I need You to straighten the path as I walk.  I need You to lead me clearly in the ways I should walk.  And when I don’t have the strength to keep walking, I need You to carry me.  And when I don’t even have the strength to stand, Lord, please just hold me for awhile and let me know that it’s going to be okay. 

          Help me remember that it’s not my job to always know what to do or to be “strong enough,” but that my job is simply to let You be God, to let You lead and to follow You in daily obedience, to work at whatever I do with all my heart for Your glory and to let You work it all out for good and for Your purposes. 

          Help me to remember that it’s okay if You only give me small jobs that no one else sees or appreciates.  As long as I am faithful in doing those small things, for Your glory, then You are pleased and consider it valuable and will reward my faithfulness in the end.  No task is insignificant if You ask me to do it.  Help me to be faithful in the little things as well as the big things.           

          The Bible says that if I commit my plans to You, Lord, they will succeed.  Well, I am committing my plans to You.  I am giving You the right to alter my plans, to mold my future, to change me into what You want me to be.  I want to live for Your glory, Your purposes, and Your kingdom.  But I need Your help to do that.  Help me remember to do my best simply because it matters to You, because You see what I do and why I am doing it.  And what I do matters to You, even if no one else sees it.  Guide me along as I go, as I do what You call me to do each day.  Lead me in the direction You want me to go.  Use my efforts as You want to, whether they appear successful to the world or not. 

          I know that I might not see the rewards of my work and my efforts here on earth or on this side of eternity.  But that’s okay.  Because I just want to be successful in Your eyes, Lord, in the heavenly realms.  Help me to glorify You in all I do.  Help me to work for eternity, for the things that will last, not for temporary pleasures and treasures that won’t last.  Help me build up treasures in heaven as I wait to hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  For Your glory and Your kingdom. 

          In Jesus’s name, Amen. 

Praying Scripture: Prayer about Resting in the Lord

Prayer about Resting in the Lord (updated April 2022)

Matthew 6:25-34:  “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? . . . But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Proverbs 3:5-6:  “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 46:1-3, 10:  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.... Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 25:9, 37:7:  “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way… Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…”

            

        Lord, You know how easily I give in to worry, to stress, to fear, to feeling like I will make too many mistakes and mess everything up and be too weak to handle things.  I can make myself crazy with fear, and it’s hurting me, exhausting me, crushing me.  And I can’t do it anymore.  You never wanted me to live a fearful life anyway.  But I have let myself believe the enemy’s lies that everything rests on me, that I am alone in my struggle, that I will always fail or let You down, that You don’t care about my pain, and that I have to be big enough, strong enough, capable enough, and wise enough to handle everything.  And this stresses me because I know I am not big enough, strong enough, capable enough, or wise enough to handle everything. 

        But it’s ok.  I don’t have to be those things… because You are.  You are big enough, strong enough, capable enough, and wise enough for both of us.  Forgive me for listening to Satan’s lies, to the one who wants to discourage me and destroy me and pull me away from You, from the help, healing, and wholeness You offer.  Forgive me, Lord, and help me grab onto Your truth instead.

        Lord, most of my fears and concerns are out of my hands anyway.  I can’t do anything about them, but I worry over them as if it’s my job to fix them.  And this worry has been crushing me.  And so right now, I give these concerns over to You.  You work it out the way You want it to be.  And instead, I will focus on the things You ask me to focus on – living humbly and obediently before You daily, working for Your glory in whatever I do, trusting in You, and drawing near to You daily.  You are God and I am not!  If You can create this world out of nothing and hang the stars in the sky, You can handle my problems too.  And I will trust You enough to let You do it. 

        And so I am throwing myself on You right now, leaning on You instead of on myself, trusting You to make my path straight, to handle my concerns and comfort my fears.  And even when it feels like everything is falling apart, I trust that You are still there.  You are still in control, holding it all together, holding onto me, helping me on the journey, and working all things out for good.  I don’t have to always know what to do because I know You, and that is enough.  And so today I am not going to focus on fixing anything; I’m just going to be still in You and know that You are God.  You are my refuge and my strength.  You will straighten out my path, in Your time and in Your way, as I walk with You each day.  Thank You for being my heavenly Father who cares for me.   

          In Jesus’s name, Amen

For more encouragement, also see https://lovehealme.blogspot.com/2017/08/war-rooms-praying-scripture-and.html

  

Praying Scripture: For When You're Brokenhearted and Exhausted

            Psalm 34:17-18:  “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

            Matthew 11:28-30:  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

            1 Peter 5:6-7:  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

            Romans 8:28:  “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

            Lord, I am crying out to You right now.  I am brokenhearted and I need You.  You promise to save those who are crushed in spirit.  You promise to lighten my burden and to help my soul find rest.  I need that right now.  Please, help me find rest for my soul. 

            I am falling down before You right now, weary and exhausted.  I cannot keep carrying the burdens I have been carrying, and so I am putting them down at Your feet right now.  Help me learn what Your yoke is - the jobs and responsibilities that You want for me, not the more burdensome ones that I place on myself.  Help me to let go of my heavier and harder yoke so that I can take up Your lighter and easier one instead.  In fact, I realize now that depression and anxiety and fear are burdens that I have been carrying around, and they have become too crushing for me to carry anymore.  And so I am putting them down now.  I cannot bear those burdens any longer and I am giving them to You.      

            Lord, I admit that I have been trying to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, but it’s too much for me.  And it never was my responsibility to begin with.  And so I am putting the responsibilities that are not mine back into Your hands and asking You to take care of the things that I can’t take care of.  I am humbling myself before You, admitting that You are God and I am not.  I cannot keep trying to do Your job.  I cannot carry the world’s problems or anyone else’s problems.   I cannot even carry my own problems by myself.  I am not big enough or strong enough.  But You are.  And so I am trusting in Your wisdom and Your capable hands to carry all these problems and to help me through mine.  I am getting off of Your throne and humbling myself at Your feet and asking You to lift me up again when it is time. 

            I trust that You really do care for me and that You can handle my concerns, and so I give You all of my anxieties right now and ask You to fix them in Your time and in Your way.  (Maybe list each anxiety right now, on paper or out loud.)  Thank You, Lord, for Your faithfulness and for being able to handle the things that I can’t, for promising to work good things out of all the messes in life.  Please, just put Your arms around me right now and give me Your comfort.  Tell me that You are with me and that it will be okay.

           In Jesus's name, Amen

For more encouragement, also see https://lovehealme.blogspot.com/2017/08/war-rooms-praying-scripture-and.html

                   

And an updated version:

Prayer for the Brokenhearted and Exhausted

Psalm 34:17-18: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

1 Peter 5:6-7: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through him [Christ] who gives me strength.”

Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.”

Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

          Lord, I am crying out to You right now.  I am brokenhearted, and I need You.  You promise to save those who are crushed in spirit if we cry out to You.  You promise to lighten my burden and to help my soul find rest.  I need that right now.  I am falling down before You, weary and exhausted.  I admit that I have been trying to carry the weight of the world, of my world, on my shoulders, but it’s too much for me.  I cannot carry the world’s problems, anyone else’s problems, or even my own anymore.  I am not big enough or strong enough.  But thankfully You are. 

          I know that You are a big God.  And so I will trust in Your wisdom and Your capable hands to carry all the problems, to help me through my trials, and to make something good out of my life.  I am getting off of Your throne and humbling myself at Your feet, asking You to lift me up again when it is time.  And until then, I will rest in You.  I will trust You to handle the things I can’t handle and to help me with the things I can.  Tell me what I need to do to find rest for my soul, give me the strength to do it, and then help me to let go of everything else.  Tell me which things I need to give You control over.  You are God and I am not.  Forgive me for forgetting this sometimes.  Teach me how to let You be God of my life.           

          I believe that You really do care for me, love me, and want the best for me.  Even if I don’t feel it sometimes, I will believe it just because You said it.  And if You are a God of love, then I know I can trust You.  And so I put my life – my concerns, my problems, my circumstances, my future – fully into Your hands right now.  I give You all of my fears, depression, and heart wounds, and I trust You to fix them, to heal them, to use them for good, in Your time and in Your way.  (Maybe list each one, on paper or out loud, and pray them over to God.)  I cannot bear those heavy burdens any longer, and so I am giving them to You to worry about for me.  Please, give me Your peace and Your comfort in their place.

          Thank You, Lord, for being faithful, for being able to handle the things I can’t, and for promising to turn all the bad into something good, even my sins and mistakes.  Please put Your arms around me right now and comfort me.  Heal my broken heart.  Help me learn to rest in You.  Tell me that You are with me and that it will be okay, no matter what comes my way.  Because as long as You are with me, I can face the future and do anything You ask me to do.  Thank You for being a powerful, loving, good, gracious God.              

          In Jesus’s name,  Amen 

Praying Scripture: For Peace When You're Afraid

            2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed.”

            Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

            2 Timothy 1:7:  “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of sound-mind.”

            Isaiah 26:3:  “You will keep in perfect peace he whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

            Lord, I feel completely hard pressed, crushed, persecuted and struck down.  Life is bearing down on me and it’s too much for me to handle alone.  I need You.  Every moment.  I need You to keep me from going under all the way.  I feel so broken, and I can’t fix it on my own.  Please, help me. 

            You say that You will be my strength, that I don’t have to be afraid because You are with me.  Well, I need to feel Your presence now.  I need to sense that You are with me.  Before I crack completely.  Lord, this spirit of fear that I am living under is not from You.  I know that.  But my own mind has become an enemy.  Please, Lord, help me.  You give us a spirit of power, of love, and of sound mind.  And I need that power and love and sound mind right now. 

            I am making a trade with You, Lord; I am giving You the fear and anxiety and unanswered questions, and I am asking You to give me Your peace and power and love and sound mind.  I cannot seem to make my mind do what I want it to do.  But Your Word says that You will keep in perfect peace the person whose mind is set on You.  I can’t keep myself in peace; I need You to do it for me.  Help me to set my mind on You.  Help me to block out the enemy’s whispers.  Help me to hear only You, to trust in You, and to feel that peace. 

            Lord, I need You!

And an updated version:

Prayer for Peace in the Face of Fear

2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed.”

Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”            

2 Timothy 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.”

Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace he whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Jeremiah 29:11: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

 

          Lord, I feel completely hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down.  Life is bearing down on me, and it’s too much for me to handle alone.  I need You.  Every moment.  I need You to keep me from going under all the way.  I feel so broken, and I can’t fix it on my own.  Please, help me.  You say that You will be my strength, that I don’t have to be afraid because You are with me.  Well, I need to feel Your presence right now.  I need to sense that You are with me … before I crack completely. 

          Lord, this spirit of fear that I am living under is not from You.  I know that.  But my own mind has become an enemy.  It terrifies me.  Please, Lord, help me.  I know that I cannot fight this fear in my own strength, and so I lean on Your strength right now.  You say that You give us a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.  Well, I need that power, love, and a sound mind right now.  And so, Lord, I am making a trade with You.  I am giving You my fear and anxiety and heartbreak and unanswered questions, and I am asking You to give me Your peace and power and love and sound mind in their place.

          I cannot seem to make my mind do what I want it to do.  But Your Word, Lord, says that You will keep in perfect peace the person whose mind is set on You.  I can’t keep myself in peace; I need You to do it for me.  I do not have the energy to worry about my concerns anymore, so I will trust You to worry about them for me.  Help me to set my mind on You.  Help me to block out the enemy’s whispers, the enemy who wants me to believe that You can't be trusted, that You have abandoned me, that I am helpless and hopeless, and that nothing good can ever come out of my life.  Help me to hear only You, to trust in You, and to feel Your peace.  When life hurts, I will trust that You are with me, that You have good plans for me, that You offer me hope and a future.  I will trust just because You said so.  And even though life is a mess, someday You will make everything good and perfect again.  And until then, I will cling to You and Your promises.  Lord, I need You and I trust You.  My hope is in You alone!  

          In Jesus’s name, Amen

For more encouragement, also see https://lovehealme.blogspot.com/2017/08/war-rooms-praying-scripture-and.html