God Is Near to the Hurting - Your Nightly Prayer - February 10th
God Is Near the Hurting
Your Nighlty Prayer
Rachel Wojo, Host of the Untangling Prayer podcast
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Psalm 34:18
SOMETHING TO PONDER
The world doesn't stop when your heart breaks. I don't know if you've noticed that, but it's one of the hardest parts of grief. You walk through the grocery store, and people are arguing over avocados. Your neighbor waves from across the street, asks how you're doing, and keeps moving before you can answer. The world just keeps spinning. And you're standing there thinking, "How is everyone acting so normal?"
This happened to me one day in the weeks following my daughter's heavenly homegoing. I walked into Target and saw the Christmas pajamas. There was no stopping the tears over the footed pajamas I'd bought her every year. I felt foolish lifting my tear-stained cheeks, but then I realized no one was even looking at me. Not one person had noticed my heart-wrenching pain.
Grief has a tendency to make you feel completely alone, even when you're surrounded by people. The sympathy cards slow down. People stop asking how you're really doing. They've moved on to their own problems and their own lives. And you get it. But it still hurts to feel like you're the only one still carrying this weight. That's where loneliness and grief meet. It's not just that you've lost something or someone precious. It's that you're walking through it feeling unseen. Psalm 34:18 says something I need to hear on nights like this:
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
I’m so glad this closeness is not eventual. God is near right now. Not if you pray the right way or cry enough tears or prove you're serious about your faith. He is with you no matter what. I've thought a lot about that word "crushed." It's honest, isn't it? Some days, the grief doesn't just make you sad; it presses down on you until you can barely breathe. And God's not surprised by that. He's not waiting for you to pull yourself together before He shows up. When the psalmist talks about God being close, he’s describing more than physical proximity. It's this idea that God draws so near that His presence enfolds you, that He enters into your pain rather than observing it from a safe distance.
Your tears don't make Him uncomfortable. Your questions don't offend Him. The fact that you're still hurting weeks or months or years later doesn't exhaust His patience. He sees you in the moments when loneliness hits hardest. I’ve experienced scrolling through the phone with no one to call. Those moments when you wake up at 3 a.m., and the house is too quiet, usher in unbelievable pain. Have you ever been sitting in church surrounded by people but feeling completely invisible? He knows what it's like to ache for someone or something that used to be there and isn't anymore. But while everyone else moves on, God stays. He is near your heart.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Father,
Tonight, I come to You carrying a heart that feels broken and a spirit that feels crushed. The loneliness is heavy, and at times it seems like everyone else has moved on while I'm still stuck in this pain. It's hard to believe anyone truly sees or understands what I'm walking through.
But Your Word says You are close to the brokenhearted, and I'm choosing to believe that promise tonight. I need you to be near because I can't do this alone. I need to know that my grief matters to You, that my loneliness doesn't go unnoticed.
Thank You that You don't require me to be strong or to have all things under control. Thank You that my brokenness doesn't push You away; it draws You close. Help me to sense Your presence in the still moments, in the sleepless nights, in the regular days that feel not at all ordinary.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
3 THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. When God Was Near Close: Think about a moment when you sensed God's presence in the middle of pain. A friend's unexpected call, a Bible verse that reached directly to your heart, or just a moment of peace you couldn't explain. That wasn't a coincidence. That was God being close to the brokenhearted, just like He promised.
2. The Weight You're Carrying: Consider the grief or loneliness bearing down on you right now. What if you didn't have to carry it alone? What if God is already closer than you realize, waiting for you to let Him share the weight? He doesn't promise to remove the pain instantly, but He does promise to be near in it.
3. One Person Who Stayed: Look back over this season of hurt. Is there one person who didn't disappear when things got hard? Someone who checked in or actually remembered? That person might have been God's way of showing you that you're not as alone as you feel. And even if you can't think of anyone, God Himself has stayed close.
As you close your eyes tonight, remember this: God hasn't moved on. He hasn't forgotten. He's right here, closer than your next breath, holding your broken heart with tender hands. You are not alone in your grief, and you never will be.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Emiliano Vittoriosi
If you enjoy Rachel’s prayers, you’ll appreciate the beautiful prayer card set, 31 Days of Prayers for the Heart. Enjoy and display Rachel Wojo's beautiful 31-day prayer card collection that includes A Morning Prayer, A Prayer for the Moment, and more! Easily place your favorite on display or transition through the set using one each day for a month. All cards securely rest in the display stand. This set includes 5x7 cards on sturdy 100 lb cardstock, beautiful, smooth professional print, and a handcrafted wooden display stand to hold all cards.
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