Wednesday, February 17

ASH WEDNESDAY

Amos 5:6-15

Psalms 32, 95, 102, 130, 143

Hebrews 12:1-14

Luke 18:9-14

Psalms 102 and 143

Prayer in Time of Distress

Both of these Psalms focus on prayer when we are feeling distressed and in need. Our journeys are filled with uncertainty and Christ is there to be our constant Companion. While the evil one enjoys veering us off our path toward Christ, HE is always there to make that right turn back in HIS direction.

Very often I find myself as a “prayer drifter.” Longing for that direct path to the Lord in my time of need, I find myself drifting from my prayer away from HIM. I will be praying for a high school friend suffering from the treatment of breast cancer and suddenly I find myself engrossed in our old fun days and out of my prayer focus. Or, I will be praying for my son, that he plays with conviction and fairness in his upcoming basketball game, then I’m off on a tangent of his grades or friends, and again, I find myself drifted away from prayer. Other times, I am praying for the right course of our nation and its leadership and then in the next instant I am stewing over what I read in the news today away from prayer. The telephone rings and my prayer thoughts are stopped in its course.

The evil one is always trying to change our course. He forgets however, that the Lord hungers and thirsts for our prayers and the spiritual connection that prayer bonds us to HIM. Prayer is like the rubber band that always pops us right back to HIM with that “OMG” moment of “I’ve drifted” and then once that realization hits us we are right back on the path to Christ. Distressful times bring us to Christ. He wants to heal us and longs for those times of prayer. Distressful times also bring uncertainty and we tend to lose focus and drift.

Lord, thank You for always bringing me back to YOU. My direction can be fuzzy at times but YOU are my constant Companion. Lead my journey, keep my focus on YOU, forgive me when I drift away. Let me neither look forward or behind and know that You are right beside me always, even at those moments of losing my way. When my thoughts begin to drift, please redirect my attention back to YOU. I pray for your grace to help me focus in prayer and that YOU are right beside me when I’m in “prayer drifter” mode.

Stephanie Hart