.But what happens when events in your life turn it all upside down and things are out of control? When you've been praying and praying for days, weeks and even months and nothing seems to change? When life is more than you can actually handle at the moment? And you're so tired, so desperate and so confused that you can't pray any more?
You don't know how to pray or what to pray. And you’re just too tired and too exhausted and perhaps your faith has taken a battering and a shattering.
What do you do then? Is it all right to turn to God and tell Him just that?
“God, I am fed up. I can't handle it any more. I don't know what to pray and whether or not you are listening. And if you're listening, I know you can help me if you want to, but I don't know whether you want to. I'm confused.”
Is it alright to say this to God?
I believe it is.
If we see God as a loving Father, as a friend, there is nothing wrong in actually telling Him how we feel. He knows how we feel anyway.
So by telling Him we are actually accepting and admitting His omnipotence and His love for us and we are actually asking for His help in our hour of desperate need and confusion.
There's nothing wrong in that. God is big enough to take it. God has already taken our anger on the cross did He not? So He will not be surprised or upset if we tell it as it is.
“God I can't handle it any more. I don't know what to ask you any more. I don't know how to pray any more. I'm just too tired. Please help me!”
I believe in such an honest prayer with nothing held back; a prayer from the heart, God will listen.
God is listening and in His time, in His way, He will help us. That's the bit that confuses us all the time.
In His time in His way He will help us.
All we need to do is to trust Him. Of course it's difficult when our faith has had quite a beating. When we're in trouble and we can't see a way out. But we need to hold on to that faith; even though all physical signs around us are that we are helpless.
Oh, and one more thing. Never underestimate the prayers of others. Prayer is the greatest gift we can give other people, and we can receive from other people. So when we are tired and we can't pray any more, we need to ask other people to pray on our behalf and to ask them to put in a good word for us with God … if you want to see it that way.
Thank you for listening. God bless.
Prayed for you just now, Victor.
ReplyDelete"Never underestimate the prayers of others."
p.s. you have a Mary marry typo at the beginning.
Thank you so much Sandi for your much needed prayers. Praying for you too.
DeleteThanx for the typo error - now corrected.
God bless you dear friend.
...I have had the opportunity to eat with the Amish and they have a silent prayer before and after the meal. If you say the Lord’s Prayer slowly that the length of the silent prayer.
ReplyDeleteYes, silent prayers are often the best. I pray silently when I meet someone and they tell me their problems. I also pray for all who comment here.
DeleteGod bless you, Tom.
Hi Victor, yes I agree with what is spoken in your post, persistent prayer can achieve its' goal, and we can also ask God to increase our faith and help us in any area of unbelief. I also find praying in the Spirit very comforting when I don't fully know how to word my prayer, as 1 Corinthians ch. 14 v.2 states 'we speak mysteries which no man understands...' There is a time for everything, and if we put our trust in our Lord Jesus we have peace. God bless.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comment, Brenda. I agree with what you say here. Prayers open a channel to God who is always listening to our needs and pleas.
DeleteGod bless you always.
I appreciate reading along with your entry. SWEET. Also it is good to agree with someone with their beliefs, here again, I find complete agreement. That is good, methinks.
DeleteLove from here and thanks for a great devotion this morning. It is also a pleasure to hear your voice.
Sherry & jack on this side of the pond.
PS: Thanks for the smiles caused by your comments, we both smiled big at the fact you don't get cards from elephants.
Hi Jack and Sherry,
DeleteThese are old tapes from my radio program years ago. The show was called "Time for Reflections" - hence the title of this Blog. I have rescued the old tapes and put them on digitised sound (Whatever that is). I then also transcribed what I said so that people can read as well as listen.
No elephants were harmed in the making of these tapes. They forgot to attend at the radio studio!
God bless you both.
We have an interrupter who pleads for us before the throne of God. Romans 8:26.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Victor!
Amen, Lulu.
DeleteGod bless always.
This especially resonates, Victor. I always cringe at the possibility someone at Bible study asks me to say a closing prayer. That sort of stuff comes so effortlessly to some people - whether it be from the pulpit or in an informal gathering. Even some beautifully-written prayers don't touch me the way in which your examples have. He knows it all anyway. I guess I shouldn't strain to make my words pretty.
ReplyDeleteYou are always very kind to me, Mevely. Thank you so much.
DeleteI understand the nervousness before saying a prayer or a talk. I used to be like that. Before my radio programs (from which this is an old tape recording), I used to say a silent prayer and then speak into the microphone, (nervously perhaps), about what came to mind.
I do hope you are asked to say a closing prayer in Bible study. Just say a silent prayer first, and let God give you the words to say.
God bless, my friend.
If someone has a full relationship with a friend they will share both the good and the bad with them. It's the same with God.
ReplyDeleteAmen. You are so right, Kathy.
DeleteGod bless.
Dearest Victor,
ReplyDeleteYes, prayers, however short or at whatever emotion they're being sent to heaven, they WORK. Praying for others and others for us also are most powerful.
My Pieter is a living sign of prayers being answered for being granted now 11.5 years past his quadruple bypass + stent placed in his neck. God knows what needs to be done and only later, MUCH later things will be revealed to all of us... Till then we have to cling to our FAITH.
Hugs,
Mariette
Yes Mariette; I know from experience that prayers are often answered. I pray for you and Pieter right now; as well as for everyone who comments here.
DeleteGod bless you both always.
💞
DeleteGod loves to hear from us, Victor, even if our prayers are the desperate kind and we really don't have the words. He does know us, inside and out, and He welcomes us simply to talk with Him as our closest friend and advocate. And in His time, God always acts.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
God is like any loving parent. He loves to hear how we are doing in life. The good as well as the bad. The thanks as well as the requests. Even the childish tantrums we sometimes get into.
DeleteGod bless you and yours, Martha.
I agree with what you say.
ReplyDeleteGod loves when we talk to him. Sometimes when we don't know what to pray, just a, God Help Me, is all that is needed.
Yes ... God help me!
DeleteGod bless, Happyone.
I don't pray, I've mentioned that a time or two, I figure God has enough to listen to already, but if I can help someone down here with anything, I'll do what I can, listen, talk, make cups of tea, stuff like that. It helps me as well as the person I'm helping.
ReplyDeleteI guess you feel you do not need God's help in any way, River.
DeleteGod bless.
Amen! And yes, i've prayed that way, and i've even told Him that i'm going to believe even when the hope is gone. The hope comes back, and the answers come, eventually.
ReplyDeletePerseverance. We must never stop believing or praying.
DeleteGod bless, Mimi.
A take-away phrase: "never underestimate...."
ReplyDeleteAnd, about talking to/with God when life is rough? And being honest when doing so? Makes sense to me. As I see it, if I can't trust God when that happens - I've got even bigger trouble. And that's another topic.
Thank you, Brian. I agree with what you say. There's no point in praying if we can't trust God.
DeleteGod bless.