Walking by Faith - Your Nightly Prayer - April 15th
Walking by Faith
Your Nightly Prayer
by Alisha Headley
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“For we live by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Spring is known to be bright and beautiful, especially for those who live in places that are preceded by a dark, long winter. But Spring doesn’t just happen overnight. Beneath the surface, where no one can see, roots are stretching deeper before anything beautiful actually appears above ground. Growth begins in the unseen. Long before you see any flowers or green grass, a lot of work is happening underground, completely hidden from view. In the same way, in our walks of life, real growth usually starts where no one can see it. Just like the beautiful Spring flowers, there is so much life that is forming in those quiet, secret places for a long time before it finally "breaks through" for the rest of the world to see.
There have been seasons in my life when I wanted visible proof that God was working. Everything I could see ahead of me was dark and uncertain. No evidence showed me any signs of brightness or light in the foreseeable future. I wanted reassurance I could measure. I wanted signs that my prayers were making progress. Instead, I often found myself waiting. In uncertainty. In silence that felt longer than I expected. Today’s verse, “living by faith, and not by sight,” sounds inspiring until you have to actually do it. Faith means trusting God when outcomes are unclear. It means believing He is moving even when circumstances feel unchanged. It means surrendering my need for constant confirmation and choosing to stand on His character instead of my current view.
There were years when I could not see growth in my story with 4 years of infertility, which included five devastating miscarriages. I saw delays. I saw detours. I saw prayers that felt suspended in midair. What I did not see were the roots forming underneath—resilience strengthening, trust deepening, and surrender becoming more real. I did not see that God was doing underground work in me. The work that was done in the unseen forever changed me. Spring teaches me that hidden does not mean stagnant. Unanswered prayers do not mean forgotten. Unseen does not mean that God is not working. Roots grow in darkness. Seeds break open underground. The most important transformation happens where there is no applause, and things go unseen. When I live by sight alone, I become discouraged by what appears absent. Everything I could see in my story pointed to disappointment. When I live by faith, I remember that God specializes in unseen work. We may not always see what he is doing in the dark, but He is without a doubt working.
One thing to note is that faith does not deny reality or take away the pain. It simply refuses to let reality be the final authority. Faith anchors you in the truth that God is trustworthy, even when your timeline is not unfolding as you imagined. It steadies you when comparison tempts you to measure your life against someone else’s visible harvest. I wish I could go without the dark seasons and go straight to the beautiful blossoms of Spring. 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds me of this. that I do not walk by what I see. I walk by who He is, knowing that He is working even when we can’t see the fruit. Sometimes faith looks like taking one small step when I cannot see the whole path. Sometimes it looks like obedience in the dark. Sometimes it looks like trusting that the roots are growing, even when the soil above looks unchanged. Let’s trust that, just as Spring, growth was happening long before anything was visible; faith also invites us to believe the same about our lives and circumstances.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Dear God,
Tonight, I confess that I often want tangible results before I trust. I often want to be answered before I surrender. But that’s not faith. For it’s not faith if all things are seen. You call me to live by faith, not by sight. Help me let go of my need for constant reassurance. Teach me to trust that You are working beneath the surface of my life, even when I cannot measure progress. Remind me of who you are. That you are a good Father and your plans for us are good, even if we don’t yet see good in our lives. When waiting feels long, strengthen my roots. When comparison tempts me, steady my heart. When uncertainty feels heavy, remind me that hidden growth is still growth. I choose to believe that You are cultivating something deeper in me in these seasons that feel dark. I trust that unseen seasons are not wasted seasons. Grow my faith quietly and faithfully, even when I cannot yet see the fruit.
In your name we pray,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
- Where in my life am I relying more on visible outcomes than on God’s character?
- What unseen roots might God be strengthening in me during this season?
- Can I trust that hidden growth is still meaningful growth, even if no one else sees it?
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Getty/Ivan Marjanovic
Alisha Headley is a writer + speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Stepping into her true calling, she left the corporate world behind as a former-financial VP to love on her family as a stay-at-home wifey + dog mama, while also being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom + power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God’s word. In her free time, Alisha enjoys road trips around the country, working out so she can eat her favorite foods, and creatively styling her outfits with a craft for fashion. Alisha is a proud wifey and dog mama living in Scottsdale, Arizona.
You can follow her blog by visiting her website alishaheadley.com or connect with her on facebook + instagram.
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