Finding Hope in God's Faithfulness - Your Nightly Prayer - December 30th

Finding Hope in God's Faithfulness
Your Nightly Prayer
by Amber Ginter Johnson

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“Great is your faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:23, NIV

SOMETHING TO PONDER

In seasons of difficulty, it can be easy to forget about God's faithfulness. Before we know it, all we can see before us is bleak darkness and looming clouds. In an instant, sunshine and cloudless days are replaced by rain clouds and hailstorms. And yet, we as Christians are called to remember our Savior both in and out of season. When we feel His presence, and when we don't. 

The character of God is defined as good, loving, kind, and true. God is just and righteous. But he's also merciful and forgiving. He's steadfast, never changing, and eternal. He is holy, wise, and omnipresent, surpassing what our finite minds can comprehend about life on this earth. And yet, He still chooses to be in a close and intimate relationship with us. 

Sometimes, I struggle to remember God's faithfulness not because I doubt it, but because my focus gets easily distracted. Instead of zooming in on how big, strong, and powerful He is, I get stuck on how real, present, and scary my present troubles seem. Can you relate?

Friends, trusting God isn't easy, but recalling His faithfulness day after day invites us to trust in the steady character of a God who never fails to show up, year after year. If you struggle with this, I encourage you to try a simple practice: At the beginning or end of every day, write down how God was faithful to you. It could be as simple as waking you up from your slumber or answering a prayer you'd wrestled with for days. Then, when we're tempted to forget all He's done for us, we can look back over this list. 

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Dear God,
In the chaos of this world, it's so easy to lose sight of you, your majesty, power, and faithfulness. We get bombarded by noise, and quickly forsake your promises for the chaos that threatens us. When we face challenging times, would you help us look to you? In and out of season, mountains or valleys, highs or lows, remind us of your character and reveal to us how you're bigger than anything we might ever face. We love, praise, and thank you, Jesus.
Amen. 

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. Do you struggle to trust God in every season? Take time to talk to God about this. You could write your thoughts down in a journal, or take a walk and pray. No matter what, focus on authenticity. God wants us to be real with Him.

2. Make a daily habit of reflecting on God's faithfulness in the morning or evening. Write down these answers to prayer or bold reflections so that in periods of trial, you can bring His character to mind. 

3. The next time you face a hardship, don't run away from God, but run to Him. Tell Him about the problem, and then watch Him reveal His faithfulness in your life, even now.

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit:  ©Unsplash/Vidar Nordli-Mathisen

Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.

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