At the start of week four of being at home due to the coronavirus, I was feeling overwhelmed. I was exhausted from taking care of our newborn plus the added responsibility of homeschooling our two daughters. I was frustrated by my lack of control over my schedule and longed for my “normal” routine to return. On that particular Monday morning, instead of relying on food, TV, or social media for comfort, I turned my attention to God in prayer. I also reached out to friends and family and asked them to pray for me.
While taking a few short moments to pray for myself and asking others to join me may seem like no big deal, the results of our prayers were powerful and noticeable for this weary mom. As I went about that day, I slowly felt my energy level increase as God strengthened me (Isa. 40:29–31; Ps. 18:32). I didn’t feel a jolt of energy like I sometimes get from my morning coffee, but God sustained me moment-by-moment and step-by-step. His sufficient grace combined with the power of prayer carried me through what was a very challenging day. While there has been so much bad news circulating right now, the good news is that during this pandemic, prayer is not quarantined!
Perhaps you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or hopeless during this crisis. You may be overburdened with grief, fear, the news headlines, cabin fever, or because of your loss of control in this season. If so, I know how you feel. But more importantly, God knows how you feel. Instead of dwelling on your circumstances, what’s lacking, or what you wish were different, I urge you to bring your feelings and circumstances before God in prayer. Persist in prayer, because it’s such an amazing gift where we get to lay all of our burdens, big or small, before the almighty God. While remaining socially distant from others over the past few weeks, we have the opportunity to draw as closely as we want to God. As we draw near to Him, He promises to draw near to us (James 4:8; Ps. 145:18).
During this crisis, let’s invite others to join us in prayer. As we focus our attention not on what we can see but on the unseen God who is on the throne of heaven at this very moment, our loads will seem lighter. As we pray, we’ll be reminded that we’re not in control but can fully trust the God who is. Just as I experienced last Monday, as you pray, you will begin to feel His peace, grace, and strength at work within you (Phil. 4:6–7). The next time you feel overburdened, overpowered, or overwhelmed, lift your voice to God in prayer. He can never be overburdened, overpowered, or overwhelmed.
Does your prayer life need a boost? Check this out.
If you feel like your prayer life needs to be renewed or resuscitated during this season, I’d love for you read my guest blog post at the Revive Our Hearts Leader Connection page here.