Grace to Keep Showing Up - Your Nightly Prayer - August 15
Grace to Keep Showing Up
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Have you ever really, really wanted to give up so badly? Throw in the towel. Try a different life. Or maybe more tragically, felt compelled to end this life. I have.
There are many times that I have faced the end of myself, and truly, the only thing that stopped me from quitting was Jesus. I truly have to have another explanation for how I have stayed married, walked through the roller coaster of foster care and adoption, continued to Homeschool for over ten years now, or even stayed alive.
Discouragement so easily can seep into the crevices of our souls. Desperation, disillusionment, and deceit can flip the scripts in our heads, leading us to believe we are out of hope. I’ve cried those ugly, desperate tears from time to time. I’m so thankful that God never left me in those dark places long. As His daughter, His light is always closer than I think, and while there are times in which tears cover our evenings, the morning offers new mercy each and every day.
When we are doing good work, the enemy desperately wants to stop us. This is why we have to stand on the Word when discouragement starts stealing our joy.
The truth is, if I had given up on being a wife, the home we’ve built would have suffered. If I had quit fostering when it became unbearably hard, my kids would have endured more losses and would not be thriving in our home as they are now. If I had stopped homeschooling when I was depressed or discouraged, I would not know the joy of seeing my high schooler thrive in his co-op, sports, academics, and life! If I had given in to the hopelessness that led me to believe the world was better without me, my whole community would be devastated by my absence.
Every time I wanted to quit so much, it was because I started believing a lie. When the lies get ugly and loud, we need friends, family, pastors, counselors, spouses, and habits that help to shout the truth back into our stories. The truth is, you are irreplaceable. God has a just-for-you story to tell, and it matters. Real life is hard, but God can do abundantly more than we could think, ask, or imagine. We just have to keep showing up; he promises a hope and a future.
If you are stuck and discouraged, spend time in the Word. Share your burden with a trusted person and remember God is with you. You matter, and giving up the good work of your life is not what he has. Stay faithful and see his glory in your story.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Father, I thank you that you are a God of hope. Cast out any idea that I have let grow in my mind that wants to rob me of my hope and joy. Replace my discouragement with courage. Exchange my exhaustion for peaceful rest. Help me to persevere in the good work you have called me to do. Bring the right people I need to keep my story going. I love you, Jesus. Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
Who do you trust to encourage you in this work? Reach out to them and share how you are doing.
Ask others for prayer. Don’t remain alone as you walk through this trying season.
Identify some ways you can rest in the Lord this week.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: GettyImages/olegbreslavtsev
For the one who is weary without answers. If you’re still showing up and still praying — but starting to wonder if it’s working — this 90-day devotional will meet you right there, with honesty and Scripture in place of easy answers.
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