Wednesday in Holy Week

Pause:

As I enter this time of prayer, I put away all distractions, take a deep breath, and listen to what the Holy Spirit is going to speak to me about today.

Pray this Psalm, repeating the words slowly, a few times:

‘Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. 2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

~Psalm 61:1-2

Reflect:

This psalm is a great reminder that we can cry out to God. God does not look down on us or judge us harshly when we come to Him with our tears, worries, and sorrows. God wants us to cry out to Him and call upon His name when we are going through hard times. When we are feeling overwhelmed, the first thing we can do is come to the Lord and cry out to Him.

It also teaches that God listens to our prayers. He hears us when we come to Him. God created us to be in a relationship with Him. One of the ways we develop and maintain that relationship is through prayer – simply talking to God. Scripture consistently reassures followers of Christ that he hears our prayers and has His ear inclined to us.

When we have reached the point where we don’t know what to do, or when we realize we can’t do it all on our own, we can call on God. When we are weary, discouraged, or faint-hearted, we can call on God. God does not expect us to be perfect or have it all together. He wants us to come to Him in every situation, especially when we need His help or feel at a loss for how to move forward. Whether you’re feeling great or going through a tough time, you can call on God anytime and He delights in your trust in Him.

Ask: The prospect of my suffering, hardship, or frustration could be contributing to some other miracle, answered prayer for me or someone else may not be very comforting at the moment, but isn’t it something to realize that my prayers are not wasted? That every single one is remembered, cherished, and ultimately deployed by God?

Take a moment to pray the ‘same old prayer’ you’ve prayed a thousand times before, but this time picture them rising like incense from your lips to the ears of God.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you that you hear all my prayers. You hear the sad ones, the angry ones, the confused ones, and the mean ones. Help me always be confident you hear everyone. Help me remember that you will answer all my prayers one day. Until then, I thank you for always listening, always loving, and always nearby.

(pause)

Yield: The hymn, ‘It is Well with My Soul,’ by Horatio Spafford:

And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back like a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul