It Centers Around Hope

A New Series by Jennifer Miller

Whenever things start to get a little out of hand and you doubt your ability to muster enough energy to get through it, do you ever wonder if it is worth all the hassle?  The crisis of the day seems to be too much to absorb, let alone, face.  It is here that you need to gather your thoughts and concerns and take it directly to God.

You may be asking why or why me?  Am I ever going to catch a break?  Calm down and then get down on your knees and pray.  God promises throughout The Bible that He is always there and will never leave us.  He tells us to ask Him for help or answers and yes, even assures our future contentment and peace of mind when we choose to surrender it all to Him.

Prayer is underrated and often discarded.  We know how to cry out for help, but do we remember to praise Him throughout the good and the bad?  As we make that private time between ourselves, the Lord lets us revel in the intimacy of it.  We have the honor of talking with God.  He genuinely wants to hear from us and asks that we lean on Him during the good and the bad.  However, this should not be used only as an admission of our sins, we truly need to confess and repent for those, but we need to be fortified as well.  I call it a refueling of our souls.  As we kneel in prayer let us remember all that He has done, is doing and will do for us.  We have so much to be grateful for!

We are entering holy ground when we go to our prayer room and talk with Him.  Thank Him for the blessings, praise all that He has done, talk and then wait for Him to respond.  Sometimes as I pray a verse will pop into my head.  I know what the Bible says, but I do not (especially as I get older) remember all the verses word by word or I can mention the book, but not remember the chapter or verse.   He knows what you are referencing.  I have my bible with me as I pray, and I have a journal to take notes.  The tools I mentioned are also a great way to look back and see how far you have come on this journey, what knowledge you have gained and the clarity that now replaces the once foggy picture that is your life.  As I begin to speak, I concentrate on what I have learned today or what has He reminded or convicted me of.  Listen and enjoy the beauty of the silence.  His voice will speak to you.  Do not be afraid to let your emotions out.  Cry when you feel like crying and rejoice when joy comes over you.  Take each moment as just that – a moment.  Absorb it and let His mere presence lift you up.  So, raise those hands, shed those tears, bang your chest if needed, but always show Him reverence and respect.  Praise Him always and when finished, then leave the room and meditate on what you have experienced and learned.  Let the joy seep in and then focus on the hope that was borne out of this time with our Lord.

Take away this bit of advice:  not all is always revealed at once.  It is His timing, and we must learn how to be patient and learn how to endure the trials life brings us.

I have chosen two amazing individuals from The Bible.  I chose Job for his patience and Joseph (Jacob’s favorite) for his endurance.  When I walked down their paths, I felt their pain and anguish and I learned determination and strength to continue my journey.  Everyone has a story, and everyone has a lesson wrapped inside of that story.  Let us, in this series, look at these two believers and maybe unravel our own story a bit.  My first blog in the series will focus on Job and then the last blog of the series will focus on Joseph.  Take care and God bless.