Lean Into Desperate Times
by Dannielle Robertson
This year started off ….dare I say it, pretty good, maybe even great…..
When I think back to the beginning of the year, which seems like it has been forever and a day ago, I keep thinking about Ingalls Creek and the two amazing retreats that happened there for our IMPACT Tribe. The friendships that were made and strengthened… the heartfelt worship…. the laughter and inside jokes…. the teachings and truth that’s spoken….the bonding and connections…..the prayers.
Retreats are one of my favorite things because they are the Spiritual renewal that I often need as I am removed from my normal life for the weekend and get to really focus on God in so many different ways. Everyone puts down their walls with others, themselves, and God during these weekends and that carries through as we come home and go back to our families, school work, and responsibilities. But there is a shift….our focus remains on God.
A lot of times we call that time after retreats the Mountain Top Experience or a Spiritual High. We feel so close to God, we have that fire in our spirit again, we are reading our bible regularly, we are praying but slowly as the days or weeks go by, those feelings and that Mountain Top Experience start to go away…School starts taking priority. Sports start up again with all the practices and games. Netflix releases a new show that you have to watch. Hanging out with friends fills your calendar. And slowly that fire and desire to spend with the Lord is bushed to the back burning in your mind until you crawl into bed with the intention of reading your Bible and doing your devotional and praying but scroll through your phone until you drift to sleep. Another day has come and gone without spending time with the Lord.
But then our life is instantly turned upside down, spun around, and in complete disarray, and even chaos. As we are sitting in our housing for whatever day of quarantine it is now, we long for that Mountain Top Experience again when we felt so close to God after Winter Retreat.
While that Mountain Top Experiences is awesome, hard as it may be to hear, desperate times can be awesome as well because they force you to be taken into a deeper level of faith and prayer. Quite honestly, there’s nothing like desperation to amp up our prayer lives and help us learn how to storm the throne room of heaven. We learn some of the deepest truths about life with God in the toughest times, including the truth that we cannot make it through without clinging to Jesus.
But how? How do we lean into Jesus during desperate times?
You have to ask (James 4:2)
It probably goes without saying that if we want God to answer our prayers, we must pray. God could probably meet all our needs without us praying, but the Bible is clear that He wants us to ask. God insists that we pray, because He knows that when we ask, we will be more likely to give Him the glory. IMPACT, I dare you to have the courage to ask God for help.
You have to know the One to whom you are Praying (Luke 11:1)
All well-known business axiom states “If you want to know something, ask an expert.” It makes sense, then, that if we want to learn how to pray, we should go to the expert on prayer. So we will go to Jesus, for there’s no One better to instruct us in prayer. IMPACT, I dare you to know God.
You have to understand that God is willing (Luke:8)
If a tired neighbor gives us what we need, how much more will God, who never sleeps, give us all that we need? Jesus says that we should pray boldly and constantly, because God is more than willing to answer and meet our needs. IMPACT, I dare you to begin to understand God’s willingness
Don’t Give Up (Luke 11:19-10)
If we ask somebody for something, and the person doesn’t respond after we have made the request a few times, we learn to stop asking, Jesus said that we shouldn’t be like that with God. God never tires of hearing our requests. In fact, He encourages us to keep on asking. IMPACT, I dare you not to quit.
Admit that it’s not about you (Matthew 6:9-10)
If we’re not careful, our prayers can become all about us. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said to start by praying for God’s glory, God’s Kingdom, and God’s will. IMPACT, I dare you to walk in humility before God.
Recognize the Power in Prayer (Philippians1:19)
The apostle Paul said that our prayers were as important as the power of the Holy Spirit in bring about his deliverance. Most people have no idea how important prayer is. IMPACT, I dare you to discover the power of prayer in your life.
Pray with confidence (Hebrews 4:15-16)
Paul said that we are to approach the throne of grace with confidence, so we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. IMPACT, I dare you to pray boldly and confidently.
Pray with others (Matthew 18:19-20)
Jesus taught that the prayers of two or more believes praying together in agreement are more likely to be answered. Pray with your sibling. Pray with your parents. Pray with your leaders. Pray with your friends. IMPACT, I dare you to reach out to someone and pray with them.
Align your will (1 John 5:14-15)
John said that if we ask anything in God’s will, we know that God hears us; and if we know that God hears us, we can have complete faith that God will answer our prayers according to His will. IMPACT, I dare you to align your heart with God.
Praying when you are afraid (Psalm 57:4-6)
When we feel worried or afraid, we can follow David’s example and do three things: lament, trust, and praise. We can tell God about our circumstances, we can put our confidence in God’s protection, and we can choose to exalt God. IMPACT, I dare you to approach the throne of God no matter how you are feeling.
So IMPACT I dare you lean into God during these times of desperation….I dare you to pray fearlessly and boldly…I dare you to have the Mountain Top Experience in the midst of the valley. I dare you to BE AND HAVE an IMPACT today!