Written by Adriana Rocha, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Brazil
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Php. 4:6 NIV)
When I converted to Christ, I discovered that I possessed a weapon to use against my problems: prayer! In my process of learning to pray, I also realized how many things within me I needed to work on and improve. But, oftentimes with the wrong motives, I used prayer as a blindfold that kept me from seeing what was really happening and what I needed to do.
Over the past few years, during a very difficult period of my life, I have had my most intense experience with prayer. Although I did not intend for prayer to be a last resort, it was all that was left when all the other options were no longer available. But I was in a battle that I did not fight alone—I always had my relationship with God. In the moments that discomfort kept me from sharing with my brothers and sisters about the situation, I sought comfort in God.
This situation taught me that I need to pray, asking for help from God to see things as they truly are, discernment to know how I should proceed, and understanding of how and what to pray for. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Ro. 8:26). Once we understand what to do, we need to ask God for the strength to act.
One of the things that was very positive for me during this process was having a friend persevering in prayer with me. This dear, trusted sister spent hours on the phone with me. Our time together sharing what was happening and praying was very important to me. When I didn’t want to be patient and wanted to simply act without waiting for what God had prepared for me, this sister helped me to see the importance of God’s process of preparation. It is so precious to have someone praying with us: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Mt. 18:20).
Oftentimes during the break in church service, we would go into a room so that I could share how I was feeling, and we would pray together because I didn’t want anyone else to hear about the bad things that were happening. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (Jas. 5:16). Her encouragement for us to pray together made all the difference for me. She was also going through some difficult struggles and our friendship allowed us to pray for her problems as well.
But this time with her in communion and prayer did not replace my alone time with God. I continued praying “alone” too! I learned that even though God knows all things, rather than throw around random situations, my prayers should be specific. I prayed even in the moments that I didn’t know what to say to God, trying to hand over the situation to Him instead of spending my energy on something that I couldn’t do anything about.
I prayed even on the days that I had just enough strength to slide out of bed and get down on my knees and, not knowing what to say, just cry. “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:12-13). I feel that God has given me the strength and heart to keep me on my feet while facing this problem, sustaining me so that the new demands won’t shake me.
During the entire situation, one verse remained on my mind: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Jos. 1:9). If going through all of that was as difficult as it was, imagine going through it without God’s sustenance.
To conclude, I want to remind you that prayer frees us and brings us relief. It is a blessing to give up our worries to God. Even when we are unable to express them with words, God knows what we mean. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Col. 4:2). We cannot do what is not up to us. We need to hand our worries over to God. People often say: “All I can do is pray,” as if that were something small. But praying is the most important action of all. Instead, we should say, “I’m going to do the best thing I can do: pray!” Stop going around in circles on your own, come to the Creator, and follow His guidance.
What about you? Are you willing to be prepared by God to act after your prayer?