Prayer Calendar Archive

by Lisa Hall, international prayer coordinator

We all love a good story – they entertain us, enable us to record our history and share our culture. But I also love the wisdom that we can glean from looking at the stories of people’s lives. Some of my favorites are found in the Bible.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the Israelites’ response to the 10 spies who gave a fearful and discouraging report about the Promised Land. They chose to fear the giants they had observed rather than to trust God, his word and his power. This lack of trust in God caused them to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness! Mercifully, God gave them many opportunities to learn to depend completely on him, but whether they were tested in times of scarcity for water, or in times of abundance with manna they just couldn’t seem to learn to trust him.

Thankfully, there are also the Bible stories of wilderness wanderings and sufferings of our heroes of the faith. Noah probably endured ridicule for decades while he built the ark. Abraham left home and family to follow God to a land of promise and trusted God enough to yield his son Isaac in sacrifice. The disciples and the apostle Paul faced intense difficulty yet maintained their allegiance to and confidence in God.

We all have wilderness times in our lives too. These tests are never meant to make us fall but to strengthen our muscles. It is in the wilderness, in times of suffering, that we can mature and have our faith grow in God through depending on him for everything in life.

This past year I have noticed a marked increase in the amount of suffering among believers. It appears that God is purifying his body and strengthening us to trust him through everything. As I pondered this, I realized that not only did Jesus experience suffering just as we do, not only is he our high priest who identifies with us and intercedes in our difficulties, but he also is the ONLY one who experienced the Father turning his face away as he bore our sins on the cross so that we would never have to experience that ourselves.

No matter how dark our circumstances are or how much our hearts are breaking, we can hold on to the truth that God is with us in every moment. We may not hear his voice or feel him, but he is there holding us up with his power. In those tense and difficult times can we speak the promises of God out loud to remind ourselves of what is true? Can we press into the grace he gives us for each moment?

Each of us as individuals goes through these trials for our maturity. But I wonder if it is for more than just ourselves. As we pray for the Spirit to continue moving in the next generation, are we ready to impart to them what we have learned?

Many young people around the world are currently coming to Christ and getting to know this God we love and trust. Will we come alongside and disciple them? Will we teach them about the reality of wilderness experiences with God? As human beings we are so used to being in control. But to live life with God, we have to make a defined mental and heart transition from being independent to being followers of God who recognize him as the sovereign Lord fully in control of all.

Will we encourage the next generation as they navigate the wilderness and sufferings of life and testify to them that God is good and is walking through these difficult times with them? Just as the Israelites had to look up in the wilderness to see the reassuring cloud or pillar of fire leading them, we must keep our eyes fixed on God and teach the next generation to do so as well, encouraging them to look up, to stand firmly on God’s promises and truth to get them through. Will we share our life stories and lessons we have learned in the wilderness?