A Prayer to Know God Is with You - Your Daily Prayer - May 23

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A Prayer to Know God Is with You
 By Vivian Bricker

Bible Reading:
 “Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: ‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord” (Haggai 1:13). 

Listen or Read Below:

The things of this world can cause us to lose hope. Recently, I have been struggling with hopelessness. Family life is hard, friends don’t reach out, and I’m constantly doubting myself. All these things can drain our hearts of hope and leave us feeling alone. 

As I was talking to God the other day, I told Him how alone I was feeling. Nobody understood my pain, and I felt as though I was about to break. I had been suppressing my emotions for far too long and pretending like I was okay. Breaks can manifest in short tempers, anger, frustration, or distancing ourselves from others. 

We will all have tough times in this life, but we must turn to God when times become overbearing. People we know or see on social media might try to portray their life as being perfect, but it is not. We don’t need to compare our lives to a fake reality. Sadly, many Christians think they have to present a “perfect” life to others to show their obedience to God. This is because many people in the Christian community think that if others see them struggling, then they will think that they are not obeying God. 

But God does not work like this. He is not like the false belief of karma. Rather, God freely blesses us because He loves us. We don’t have to do good things to deserve good things in return. In the same way, our present struggles are not a reflection of disobeying God. Everyone will have good and unpleasant times.

If you have been taught that God blesses certain individuals and curses others, then you may struggle with a distorted view of God. Take a moment to know that whatever struggle you are facing in your life today, it is not because of God. He is not “cursing” you, nor is He trying to teach you a lesson. 

God is with you during this struggle. Even if you might not feel Him, He is always with you, and He is not going anywhere. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us this truth: “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Today, we find ourselves in the Book of Haggai. Although this is a short book of the Bible, it holds many important truths. Haggai was the prophet during the construction of the Second Temple. The king had recognized the importance of allowing the Jews to return to Judea to restore their temple that had previously been destroyed. 

Amid these wonderful things happening, we see God speak through Haggai: “Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: ‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord” (Haggai 1:13). The Lord spoke through Haggai and told the people that He is with them. In the same way, God says this message to us through His Word. He is with us always and forever. 

What is causing you to feel far from God today? Is it because you feel alone, hopeless, or are you striving toward an unrealistic goal of perfection? Bring all these matters to Him today. The stressors and unreasonable demands of life make us feel as though God is not with us, but He is. Just as God was with the Jews as they were rebuilding the temple, God will be with us as we rebuild our lives.

We are never too far gone from God. He loves us, and He will come to save us even if we are at death’s door. No longer do we need to believe that we are lost causes. God can bring restoration and redemption to our lives. All we have to do is go to Him in prayer and ask for His help. In every season of life, God will be with us. 

Let’s Pray:

Dear God,

I praise You that You are always with me. Please help me take this to heart and meditate on it always. There are times when I feel far from you. I know this is just a feeling, not a fact. I am relying on the truth of Your love, goodness, and hope rather than my own doubts. Whether times are good or bad, help me to remember that You are with me. 

Just as you have been with Your people in the past, I know You will be with me, too. Through the highest mountains and deepest valleys, I know You go before me. You have been good to me and blessed me beyond measure.

All praise belongs to You, God, Amen.

Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/AaronAmat

Vivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.

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