Two weeks ago, I wrote a blog entitled, “I choose joy.” But, what do you do when life gets harder?
Ironically, the week after I published that blog, my 84 year old father went into the hospital and for lack of time, I reposted that same blog the following week. However, when I reread it for myself, it hit different. When we get tired and weary, joy becomes harder to choose. But the formula still holds true.
Pray. Give thanks.
So, what do you do when life gets harder? Today, we are going to find some tools that will help us with that.
If you have ever had a loved one in the hospital, you know life can get pretty chaotic. Schedules shift and time is somehow warped. I felt like I was meeting myself coming and going. However, I am so thankful for our family. We spread the time around in an effort to better manage the situation.
Often it is hard to juggle family, work, daily life when life gets hard. We get distracted, caught up in just getting through the day and we move into a reactive mode. Quickly, I forget to pray. And what is there to be thankful for? However, this is when it is the most important to do both.
Pray. Pray. Pray.
Being thankful for the little things will change your mindset. Thankful for a friendly nurse, for my sister to share the load. Grateful for flexibility in my job so that I can run back and forth to the hospital. For a devoted mother sitting by my father everyday. There is always something to be thankful for. Focusing on the things that are going right and being thankful for them changes your mindset. Therefore, it makes you look at your situation in a different light.
Be Thankful.
When we cannot pray, pray God’s will. Even if it is only muttering the words, “Your Will be done.”
This is a hard one because we may not like or understand God’s will.
Scripture tells us, God’s ways are higher than our ways.
And if you remember from the blog last week, God tells us what His will for us is.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads “Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Here is a great tool I use when I just don’t have the strength to pray. I ask others. This is powerful! Often, when we are going through something, we isolate. Lock in. I used to do this. But, when we cannot pray for ourselves, ask others to pray for you. You will be amazed at what God can do in your life through other people praying for you.
I am thankful to have a couple different groups of women and several friends that pray for me. When I send them specific prayer concerns, they are on it.
Never underestimate the power of prayer.
When others pray for us, they lift us up to God’s light. Those prayers carry you even through dark times. Rest assured, those prayers offered up on your behalf are carrying you, when you cannot carry yourself.
Prayer changes things. There is no greater gift than to pray for one another. I am thankful I have a lot of people praying for me and my family. And through those prayers, we have seen miracle after miracle. But if you do not have anyone praying for you, please reach out to me. I will pray for you. Leave me a comment below and know that I am praying for you.
Click this link and scroll down for some other resources you can use for prayer right now.
So, what do we do when life gets harder?
When life gets harder, pray continually, give thanks, and ask others to pray.
And never forget, God is always with us.
Let us pray;
God of all that is, be with us in a mighty way. When we cannot pray for ourselves, brings others to us that can lift us up. May we never forget the power of prayer, the power of YOU. In Jesus name, Amen.
P.S. I would love to pray for you. Leave me a comment below or send me a DM. Forward this message to a friend that is going through a hard time. Let them know you are praying for them. You may never know how much it really means to them. Post this on Facebook and tag me in it. Let the world know we believe in the power of prayer! Praise be to God. -M
