Keep Praying Through the Storm

There are times when prayer comes easily. We feel thankful, hopeful, and close to God. We know what we want to say, and the words seem to come naturally.

Then there are the storms.

Life becomes difficult. Circumstances change. We become tired, discouraged, worried, or emotionally drained. Sometimes the very moment when we need to pray the most is the moment when we feel the least like praying.

Ephesians 6:18 tells us to remain alert and to pray with perseverance. Perseverance means we keep moving forward. We keep going. We do not stop simply because the road has become difficult.

Whatever trial may be in your life today, keep praying. Whatever circumstances you are facing, keep moving forward. God has not stopped being faithful to you, so remain faithful in bringing your heart to Him.

The Enemy Does Not Want You to Pray

God desires for us to pray, but Satan does not want us to pray.

The enemy will try to convince you that prayer does not work. He will tell you that God does not care about what you are facing. He may even try to convince you that you do not deserve to have your prayers answered.

Sometimes the distraction is more subtle. You become too busy to pray. You are too tired to pray. You feel emotionally drained, and prayer becomes one more thing you think you do not have the strength to do.

Do not listen to the devil.

He understands that there is power in prayer. That is why he will do everything he can to keep you from it.

Paul concludes his teaching about the armor of God by telling believers to pray. Prayer is part of the spiritual strength God gives us. It keeps our hearts turned toward Him. It reminds us that we are not facing life by ourselves.

When the enemy tells you that prayer will not make a difference, pray anyway.

When you feel unworthy, pray anyway.

When you feel tired, pray anyway.

When you do not know what to say, pray anyway.

God is not asking you to come to Him with perfect words. He is asking you to come to Him.

There Is Power in Prayer

Prayer is powerful because the God we pray to is powerful.

Our confidence is not in the length of our prayers, the sound of our words, or our ability to explain everything perfectly. Our confidence is in God, whose power has no limit.

I have seen God do amazing things through prayer. I have seen strongholds crumble, marriages saved, children recover from addiction, fear disappear, sins conquered, and healing come.

That does not mean every prayer will be answered exactly the way we expect or according to our preferred schedule. It means we continue praying because we trust the One who hears us.

When life becomes difficult, do not give up. Pray.

Persevere in prayer. Keep bringing the situation before God. Keep trusting Him even when you cannot yet see what He is doing.

What have you been praying about lately?

Have you become discouraged because the answer has not come as quickly as you hoped? Have you started believing that silence means God is absent?

Keep praying.

God is still listening. God is still working. God is still in control.

The Storm Will Not Last Forever

There are three things we need to remember about the storms in our lives.

The first is that it will not always be thundering and lightning.

The storm may last longer than we would choose. There may be moments when all we can see is the difficulty in front of us. There have been times in my own life when the storm seemed to fill the entire sky.

But storms pass.

The circumstance you are facing today will not always look the way it looks right now. The pain will not always feel as sharp. The confusion will not always be as heavy. The storm may last for a while, but it will not last forever.

What should we do while the storm is still raging?

Pray.

Be fervent in your prayer life. Persevere. Bring your fears, frustrations, questions, and needs to the One who remains in total control.

We may not be able to stop the storm, but we can pray to the One who can stop it or comfort us while we walk through it.

The Son Is Still Shining

The second truth is that behind every storm cloud, the sun is still shining.

When heavy clouds cover the sky, we cannot always see the sunlight. But the sun has not disappeared. It is still there, even when the clouds keep it from our view.

The same is true of Jesus.

When we are in the middle of a storm, we tend to focus only on what is happening around us. We see the problem. We feel the disappointment. We notice the wind and the rain.

But Jesus is still there.

He has not left. He has not lost control. He has not forgotten about you.

The storm may affect what you can see, but it does not change who Jesus is.

Keep praying when you are in the storm. Put your faith and trust in Him. Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.

The sun is still shining, and the Son is still shining.

God Uses Storms to Help Us Grow

The third truth is that God uses storms to bring growth.

Trials are not easy, and we do not have to pretend that they are. But God can use difficult seasons to help us become more like Christ.

If every moment after salvation were comfortable, we might become spiritually lazy. We might begin depending entirely upon ourselves. We might forget how deeply we need God.

During trials, we often pray more. We read the Bible more carefully. We listen more closely. We begin to recognize the places where we have been depending upon our own strength.

God can use those difficult moments to deepen our faith and strengthen our dependence upon Him.

Do not waste the storm.

That does not mean we should enjoy suffering or pretend that pain is good. It means we should allow God to work in us while we are walking through it.

Ask Him what He wants to teach you. Ask Him to strengthen your faith. Ask Him to help you become more patient, faithful, compassionate, and dependent upon Him.

The storm may be doing something around you, but God may also be doing something within you.

Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith and not by sight.”

Our faith cannot be dependent upon the circumstances around us.

If our faith is based only on what we can see, every storm will shake us. But when our faith is placed in God, we can continue praising Him even while the storm is raging.

Whatever I face in this life, I can know that God is with me. If God is with me, then I know He has me and He has the situation I am facing.

My sins have been forgiven. I once lived however I wanted, headed in the wrong direction. But God, who is rich in mercy and great in love, rescued me.

Because He has rescued me, I will serve Him. Because He has been faithful, I will continue trusting Him. Because He has shown me mercy, I will continue walking with Him.

Faith does not mean we deny the storm.

Faith means we keep our eyes on Jesus while we walk through it.

Where are you being asked to persevere in prayer today?

Has a difficult circumstance caused you to focus more on the storm than on the One who is with you?

How might God be using this season to help you grow closer to Him?

Do not stop moving forward. Do not stop praying. Do not allow what you see today to make you forget what you know about God.

The storm will pass.

The Son is still shining.

God is still working.

Walk by faith and not by sight. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Closing Prayer

Dear God, thank You for hearing us when we pray. Help us persevere when life is difficult and when we feel tired or discouraged. Remind us that storms do not last forever, that Jesus is still with us, and that You can use every season to help us grow. Strengthen our faith and help us keep our eyes on You. In Jesus’ name, amen.