He Knows Your Hidden Struggles - Your Nightly Prayer - February 11th
He Knows Your Hidden Struggles
Your Nightly Prayer
by Clarence Haynes Jr.
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.” - Psalm 139:1
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Many years ago, when I was working in children’s ministry, we had a guest come one Sunday to speak to the kids. When he showed up, he was well-dressed in a suit and tie. He was well put together, even though he was perhaps a little overdressed for children's ministry. Outwardly, everything looked wonderful until he took off his suit jacket. When he did, he revealed a shirt that was torn and had holes ripped throughout the shirt. Looking at him, many of the kids laughed because he went from looking polished and well-dressed to tattered. Once the kids calmed down, he explained the reason for his shirt. He stated that many people look put together on the outside, while inwardly they are falling apart. This was a fantastic object lesson that has stuck with me all these years later.
The power of the mask
So many times, we approach life wearing a mask. You walk into church, and someone asks you how you are doing, and the immediate response is usually I'm doing well. Yet how often have you walked into church or been around other believers, and you are struggling, but you feel you don’t have the freedom to share how you really are doing? Thoughts of being judged or criticized fill your mind because, after all, you are a follower of Christ; you are more than a conqueror, so pick yourself up and be strong. It sounds good, but there are moments when this is not your reality.
While we are good at wearing masks around people, sadly, sometimes we wear these same masks when we come before God. The only question I have for you is why? God already knows the condition of your heart, your emotions, your strengths, weaknesses, and your struggles. As the psalmist wrote, you have searched me, and you know me. There is no good reason to come before God trying to hide what is going on, because he already knows.
The freedom of his presence
The wonderful thing about walking with the Lord is that you can be honest in his presence. This means you can be honest when you are doing well and even when you are not. If you are up, down, happy, angry, winning, or struggling, it doesn’t matter; you can be real in God’s presence. You can take the mask off. The reason you can is that God knows, God cares, and he wants to help. That is the beauty of walking with God. You don’t have to be anything you are not. So often we tell people who don’t know Jesus to come just as you are. Well, that statement remains true even after you come to Jesus. You always come to him just as you are and don’t worry. He won’t be surprised, he won’t reject you, and he can handle it.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Lord,
I come to you just as I am, and I bring my struggles before you. I don’t want to hide them, but I want to carry them into your presence knowing that you already know what they are. Help me pour out my weakness to you instead of hiding it from you. As I sit, I ask for your strength and wisdom to work through the struggle and not to feel like I must carry this alone. Lead me to the right people who will pray, encourage, and walk with me through this. Help me not to give in to the fear of what people will think, which keeps me trapped and in bondage. Instead, lead me to those who will have compassion and offer the type of grace that embraces people in their struggle and not abandons them. Thank you for knowing my struggle and still loving me through it anyway, and thank you for being present in these moments where I need you the most.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. The beauty of walking with Jesus is that you can cast every anxiety upon him.
2. Hiding from God is foolish because he always knows where you are.
3. God will never judge you or ridicule you for how you feel or what you are struggling with. Instead, he will help you through it when you reach out to him.
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/Bluewater Globe
He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.
Now that you've prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below!
