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A Prayer About God at Work in the Pain

     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. Jeremiah 29:11

     Heavenly Father, there’s simply no other god as merciful, gracious, and engaged as you. Your forbearance is immeasurable… your kindness is inexhaustible… your plans are irrepressible.

     When your people received this letter of encouragement from Jeremiah, they were in exile in Babylon. How could they not feel bereft, bewildered, even betrayed by you? Yet, by your own testimony, Father…when you lead us into difficult seasons, it’s not to punish us but to prosper us. When you send hardships, it’s not to bring us harm but to give us hope. When you discipline us, it’s not to send us into the “dog house” of your displeasure, but to guarantee our good future.

     It’s so comforting to remember that you always know exactly what you are doing with your people, and everything else in the world. You know the plans you have for us… individually and corporately. There’s no happenstance in heaven. You don’t make up things as you go along. You’re not a God who reacts out of irritation, but one who always acts out of great affection. There are no coincidences, just providences. “Stuff” doesn’t just happen, sovereignty is always happening.

     Father, this way of thinking would be utter madness if you never sent Jesus—a big time spitting into the wind… the spin of all spins… delusional at best, demonic at worse. But Jesus is the “Yes” to every promise you have made. His life, death and resurrection are the guarantee of our gospel-prosperity… living hope… and glorious future. Apart from Jesus there is only hopelessness unimaginable… because of Jesus there is joy unspeakable.

     So bring the truth, grace and power of this gospel into our current situations… into our personal stories of pain… into the brokenness our local churches… into the needs of our communities.

     Turn our sighs into songs… our cynicism into servanthood… and our grumblings into the rumblings of a coming visitation of the Holy Spirit. So very Amen, we pray, in Jesus’ triumphant and compassionate name.

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