When You Want to Avoid Life, Turn to God’s Strength

Your Nightly Prayer

When You’re Tempted to Numb Out
Your Nightly Prayer
By Candice Lucey

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope.” - Zechariah 9:12

SOMETHING TO PONDER

In the face of some difficult situations, I have wanted to run away and skip that day. Painful medical appointments; confronting employees with poor behavior or performance; tackling complicated and stressful paperwork: at fifty-plus years old, the list is long. The temptation has been there many times to pretend it does not really matter and skip the hard conversation, the administrative task, or the necessary but unpleasant procedure. When I was younger, procrastination and denial worked well for a while. Now, I know that getting these things out of the way is better.

If I wait, sometimes the opportunity is gone: I won’t sit down with a staff member in three months to ask her about an incident that happened yesterday. On the other hand, I can put off a procedure and wind up sick or in a lot of pain. Then there is the paperwork, which, when it sits, seems to breed and multiply. The problems just get bigger. Meanwhile, I could have been praying for support and wisdom. I could have chosen to seek help from the Lord all along.

Zechariah 9:12 reminds me that the Lord is not some vague spiritual being but a solid fortress. And I need the hope I have in him to survive the rudeness of day-to-day struggles that rob me of peace. The Lord is kind, whether the intrusion is something mundane or more serious. He is kind and gracious because, even though he is never fazed by these difficulties - he is bigger than all of them - he knows how brittle I am and susceptible to discouragement.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Heavenly Father,
Help me to remember just how big you are. You are a fortress, but more than that. A human fortress is a finite structure that can be undermined with the right weapons and a large enough army. You are infinite and omnipotent. You not only withstand the enemy’s efforts, but you have overcome them. The tomb is empty - what bigger enemy is there than death? And yet, you defeated death itself. I must remember - help me to remember - to run to your fortress and find hope there.
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

Many tasks become more daunting the longer you wait to start chipping away at them. When you see the work mounting up, or the crisis growing and spreading, pray before you think about tackling it. You are never alone.
If this labor can be broken down into smaller pieces, do that. For example, a major project for university or college, or assembling documents for your yearly tax assessment, can be huge, even paralyzing. Break the work up into smaller assignments and acknowledge your accomplishment each time you complete that small job, so you are motivated and encouraged to continue until the work is done. Even the Lord, who could have created everything in one breath, chose to spread creation over six days.
As a manager or supervisor, when you are forced to approach someone about a disciplinary matter but fail to do so, remember that the impact of the lingering issue spreads. A staff member who fails to follow instructions will frustrate co-workers, make more work for them, or inspire them to copy the behavior that is causing problems. By addressing the issue quickly, you potentially spare them the discomfort of discipline or the hassle of working with an inconsiderate colleague. If your position is a responsible one, you set an example by being responsive to trouble rather than avoiding and procrastinating until you react angrily. You reflect the Savior’s impact on your mind and heart when you take this opportunity to act with courage and compassion.

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Aaron Owens

Candice Lucey is a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada, where she lives with her family. Find out more about her here.

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