A PRAYER FOR HELP WITH OUR FAITH

January 3rd, 2025

SCRIPTURE:
“Then Job answered and said:
2 ‘Even today my complaint is bitter; My hand is listless because of my groaning.
3 Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat!
4 I would present my case before Him, And fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which He would answer me, And understand what He would say to me.
6 Would He contend with me in His great power? No! But He would take note of me.
7 There the upright could reason with Him, And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
8 “Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
9 When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.
10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.
13 “But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does.
14 For He performs what is appointed for me, And many such things are with Him.
15 Therefore I am terrified at His presence; When I consider this, I am afraid of Him.
16 For God made my heart weak, And the Almighty terrifies me;
17 Because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness, And He did not hide deep darkness from my face.'” Job 23:1-17

My Eternal God and Father who art in heaven. It is again today I come before You with my heart bowing in Your presence and in the presence of my Savior and Intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ Your Son. It is the assurance of faith that the Holy Spirit has supplied to me that brings me today for answers and guidance in matters beyond my understanding, and some things that I struggle accepting in the matters of life. I am troubled by the number of people who shun Your Word as irrelevant to guide their lives. Even after hearing it taught and proclaimed some of us seem to act as if it is useless to the affairs in which we face in our daily lives. I know Father that we are challenged to accept that Your ways are not our ways and Your timing is often very different that our desired time frames, but it is hard to reconcile what You allow to come into our lives and the faith You require of us to make the right decisions and obey what pleases You no matter how we feel or how much obedience may hurt us. Surely, I have read about men and women in the scriptures and in various historical accounts of other’s lives, who struggled and even faltered under the weight of difficult trials, anguish, and even harsh injustices that seem like an unfair result to those of us who seek to walk by faith and trust You beyond sight. I ask today not only for inner strengthening of my faith, but I pray for those among us who seem to be dulled to our need to reach out to depend upon You for guidance through the fog of difficulties and pain. That even the least of us will have a renewed clarity and steadfastness to not only believe that You are, but that it is true, undeniably true that You are a rewarder and a present help in time of trouble. We know that every answer does not come the moment we pray to You, but every prayer admits we are with openness looking to You for the answers we need. Please I pray today that Your mighty hand of grace would reach into the lives of every struggling child of God to grant each of us visible evidence that would make us never doubt You again, in Jesus Name with thanksgiving I pray, amen and amen.
Pastor Wayne Cockrell