Groaning is Praying
READ
CONSIDER
Change is hard. Life is hard. There’s a lot in this life that can get us down. Physically, emotionally, mentally, physically – we face a variety of hurdles as part of seeking Jesus in the tension of the now-not-yet-kingdom of heaven.
The great news is that we’re not left to our own devices, our own strength, or our own ability to endure. It’s the power of God in every believer that makes it possible for our lives to be transformed. We can have confidence in the hope that anything we struggle through now pales in comparison with the joy that awaits us when God sets everything right in the future.
REFLECT
As you engage in self-examination and ask God to change you from the inside out, prepare yourself for struggles. Prepare yourself for good days and setbacks. Expect some days to be blessed and others to be battles. This is the journey to the narrow gate that leads to eternal life.
The Holy Spirit helps you in those days. You don’t even need to know the words to pray. Just sit in the presence of God and give him access to whatever you’re feeling – in the highs and the lows. On the mountaintops and in the valleys. He is with you. He is filling you. He wants you to walk in Christ’s victory and will show you what that looks like.
PRAY
Holy God, thank you for fighting for me. Cover me with your strength. Give me holy confidence as I find encouragement in following your way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.