This blog post is a little different today. I have a true story to share of my day today between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. It’s been a more difficult day for me. I stopped what I was doing because I feel I need to share with you while I’m still experiencing it. Always, yes, always, the sharing of my true stories is intended to lend my faith, encourage your heart, and inspire grit. My hope is that today’s story will do all three.
I’ve finally accepted something about myself, just this week, actually. I hate pain. I hate pain so much that many times I’ve tried to evade pain. I’d much rather be happy, doing fun and pleasurable things, than have to focus on unpleasant, negative, and painful things. But today, I’ve had to focus on the pain that’s part of this world and my heart hurts.
I’m being vulnerable here because, well, I’ve heard that’s the road to travel to become my most authentic self. And truthfully, I desire to be truly me. That means I have to be as truthful about the pain in my life, as I am about the positive in my life.
It’s a struggle for me to embrace sadness and pain and yet, suffering is part of not just your life, but mine too. Oh how I wish it were just joy all the time, but I have to wait for heaven to live joy every moment.
True Story Ahead
Today has been a day filled with a lot of pain.
I awoke with a sadness in my heart. Truth is my husband and I have had a little bit of a challenging week, relationally speaking. Let’s just say we’re kind of opposites in some major ways and that rubs us the wrong way sometimes. I prayed for relational healing.
Then I got a picture of my grandson. He’s sick. Poor little guy’s eyes looked so watery it looked like he’d been crying. His runny nose and sad face made my heart sad for him. I wish I could take away that nasty cold from him. I told my sweet daughter-in-law I’d pray for his healing. So I immediately prayed for physical healing for James.
Then I got a text from my brother with a major prayer request. Someone he cares for deeply is suffering from cancer. It’s not looking good and is at an urgent level. He asked for prayer. Again, I immediately prayed for healing. But I added comfort and peace for my brother’s friend and family and for my brother.
Then I sat down to begin working on an important assignment God has given me, which requires me to enter my life’s past, a painful past. I immediately prayed for protection and perseverance, oh, and words to communicate my message of hope and courage to others.
During this assignment, I felt the Holy Spirit’s nudge to reach out to someone who I know is in pain. I wanted this person to know I am in prayer for her, and I will continue to be in prayer. I prayed for hope and perseverance through her pain.
After that message, I quickly searched Facebook. I saw one of my favorite friends having fun at the Magnolia silo in Waco, TX. How cool is that? I praised God for her fun. I decided to live for a moment in some pleasantness through her smile and adventure.
But that pleasantness only lasted a moment because the very next thing I read was an announcement of a dear man whose wife passed away this morning. My heart broke open and tears burst forth. I felt pain. I prayed for God Himself, who is our peace and our comfort, to be with him and his family. I think death is the most painful thing of all. Death seems too much to bear.
I’ve learned when my heart’s pain tank is too full. That’s my cue to stop what I’m doing and truly go before the Lord in prayer. Bringing my pain and the pain of others to His feet in His throne room is the only way I can handle all of the pain that happens in this world.
Like a tea pot (or an Instant Pot) needs to release the pressure heating up inside of it, my heart needs a release valve when I’m experiencing these painful moments. I have a couple of favorite songs that help me to release my heart’s pressure.
Today, I chose “Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman and Beth Redman.
There are a couple of verses that truly help my heart’s pressure to be released:
Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
I’ve learned in both the positive and painful moments of my life, I have to pray to my Lord and Savior Jesus. My heart can hardly take the pressure if I don’t. I need to release the pressure. My heart bursts with both positive and with pain. I’m pretty sure we need to release our heart pressures frequently.
I know I’ve been gifted by God Himself with a very positive attitude, and not everyone has this particular talent like I do. I don’t take that lightly. So that I don’t overwhelm people, I release a lot of my positive heart pressure just with God Himself. I call that praise!
But I am in prayer in pain a lot too. Because like you, I also experience pain. If we live in this world, we experience pain. Every. Single. Day. I’ve said it before, we’ll always experience joy and sorrow in this world. It is a both/and on this side of heaven.
Called to Pray
Prayer is communication with God Himself. Prayer is addressing God with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving. Prayer is making a request in a humble manner to God Himself.
I am in prayer…a lot!!!
The prayer of faith found in James 5 is something I take seriously because “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). I believe this. We are to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and we are to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. [We are to] be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18).
That my friends is a calling to pray. Every. Single. Day.
On this side of heaven, we’ll never run out of things to pray about. We’ll never run out of people to pray for. So I’ll never stop praying.
I’ll pray in the positive and in the painful moments of my life. I’m all in. I am one of God’s people and He says, my prayers are powerful and effective. So, if you’re also one of God’s people, then release the pressure and let your heart burst forth with God Himself because your prayers are also powerful and effective.
I’m in prayer a lot today, in the positive and in the pain. My heart’s pressure valve has been released. I don’t feel like I’m going to burst any more.
Still, I have one more huge prayer today:
May God Himself bless you, comfort you, and give you peace, joy, healing, and victory.
Let all God’s people say. Amen!
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