Being Positive Through Prayer

There are some circumstances going on in my life right now that are somewhat troubling. However, it’s important for me to remain positive in the midst of these troubling circumstances. So how do I do that? I pray. A lot.

Prayer is probably the skill I use the most when I encounter negative or unhappy circumstances. Often it comes welling up from a frustration that says, “I don’t know what else to do!” I often – most of the time – don’t understand what God is doing in my life, so I pray He shows me. Yet I know that God knows what’s going on and He is able to work regardless of whether I understand what’s going on or not.

So prayer leads me into trusting Him to be at work and into trusting Him to work things out according to His plan. I so want to know what His plan is before it happens, but God doesn’t work that way. He often only shows me just what I need to do to get to the next moment in my life. So prayer leads me to trusting Him. It often sounds like, “God, I don’t understand what You are doing, but I know You are at work. Show me what I’m suppose to do next and give me the strength, energy, wisdom, and understanding to do whatever it is You have for me.”

This week I am praying a lot about a friend in great need. I don’t have any control over what happens in her life, but God does. So I pray that God will work in mighty ways that we will all be able to look back upon and marvel at His wonderful working. There is much that frustrates me in this situation. However, when I turn to God in prayer, I gain a little more assurance that He will work in this (and every) situation in my life. Many of my worries become issues where I can trust God to work once I’ve turned the situations over to God through prayer. Once it’s in His hands, I can trust that His best will win out.

So today, I pray. I pray to get on my heart what’s on God’s heart. I pray to gain peace knowing the situation is in God’s hands. I pray because there’s nothing else (or nothing better) I can do in any situation in my life.