What To Pray In Your Toughest Times

Tim Dilena recently did a sermon on “What To Pray In Your Toughest Times”. He spoke about the story of Job. Job was a wealthy man who dealt with many trials. He lost his wealth, health and his 10 children. Despite his difficult situation, Job never cursed God. Job’s story helps us remember to trust God during trials and remain faithful while we wait for a solution. No matter how severe the pain is, we should never think that God does not listen or does not care. God wants us to learn beyond what we can presently see. We learn from Job’s story that it is possible to endure even the most terrible test and God is always there with us though at times it feels like He is silent.

In Job’s story, a lot was taken away. But, God is still God whether He is giving or taking away. It’s easy to praise when He provides, but can we praise when he removes as well? Shouldn’t we continue to praise Him despite how hard the trial is? I believe that God gives us the ability to get through the toughest seasons. He doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle. I have an index card on my nightstand with the verse below that I have been reading every morning.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Every trial we face is a refining process. As an example, the only way to refine metal is to keep it in the heat. God does the same with us. When we are in the fire is when God molds us to who He wants us to become. It sometimes feels like it’s all at once and that everything is crashing down around us; our faith, our health, our marriage, our job. A clay pot sitting on a shelf is still a pot, but once it’s put into a fire, it become porcelain. It doesn’t change on the shelf, but in the fire. We don’t change by walking through life one day at a time with no trials. We change while we are in the trials.

So we know that going through the purpose of our trial is to refine us, but what we need to realize is that we won’t always know all the other answers to “why”. However, knowing why will not give us what we need. Instead of spending time figuring out “why” we should invest our time getting to know God more.

So what do you do and what do you pray during the toughest time of your life? Instead of turning away, seek Him. Seek to know Him. Read His word. Spend time talking to Him. Surround yourself in community. Find a church. There is more value in knowing Him deeper, than knowing the answer of “why” to every trial. Have faith and hope in what you are waiting for, because while you are praying for one thing, God is doing 10,000 to make it happen.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.- 2 Corinthians 12:9

“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:14