Have You Prayed About It?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

In Psalm 109, David sets an incredible example. He talks about how his enemy hates, falsely accuses, and fights him without cause, but his reaction to this is inspirational. He says, “But I give myself to prayer.” In Hebrew, this phrase is translated as “But I am prayer.”

You cannot control or understand why people do what they do. You may have been hurt in unimaginable ways and have every right to be bitter and want revenge. But by saying “I am prayer,” you are choosing to give this person and this circumstance to God. You decide not to give yourself to unforgiveness, anger, hopelessness, or fear. You are deciding that you are not “grief.” You are not “failure.” You are not “divorce.” You are prayer.

The only thing you can control in life is you. Jesus said that offense is inevitable. But being offended is optional. Being offended is a choice you don’t have to make. A lot of Christians’ default reaction to getting hurt is to give themselves to anger and rage instead of giving themselves to brokenness and intimacy with God. When you give yourself to prayer in the hard times, God will change your outlook and your attitude. You will be able to keep your peace because in His presence is fullness of joy.

Prayer is where you go to deal with what life has dealt you. When life deals you a tragedy or something terrible happens to you, the only way to keep it from getting into your heart is to get on your knees. The more you pray about it, the less likely revenge, hatred, or bitterness will get in your life. Decide to pray until God takes something really ugly and turns it into something beautiful. He can take what was meant for your evil and turn it for good. The Bible tells us to rejoice always and pray without ceasing. What can Satan do to someone with that mentality?

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