Finding Power and Peace in Prayer

This post is by Jen Shultz.

I don’t know about you, but the last few years have left me feeling like I had very little power over the course my life has taken. 

If you have been a fan of the Hello Mornings’ Blog, you may remember me discussing a cancer journey, trying to live and love through a pandemic and major social issues, and the fact that even before all of that chaos I was chronically ill. Each time I feel like I am making actual strides toward better health or a more organized household and heart, life tosses a boulder in my path. It can make a gal feel really powerless. 

All that is pretty heavy for your morning reading, isn’t it? Here is where things take a turn toward the shine--we’re never powerless in how we react to the things that challenge us in our lives. 

The enemy wants us to believe we are, but God says we are not. It does not mean life will cease throwing trials at you and I. It also does not mean that just because we have tapped into that power we will be able to manage these trials on our own. No, in all actuality that power comes from a place of perfection and friendship; no person on Earth is perfect. However, we can connect with the One who is and that is where the real power lies--the power to quiet the storms and command the wind, the power to raise dry bones into an army, and the power to claim victory over death.

Life is hard. It’s full of ups and downs. It’s also full of beauty when we give ourselves a moment to take it all in. Where we rest our eyes makes a big difference in how we approach the hard and the heavy. 

For me, the most effective way to keep my gaze Heavenward is to fall into prayer, often. That gives us a direct line to the aforementioned power. It also claims a peace I cannot find elsewhere in my life. By releasing the things I experience daily to the One who made me, I am able to trust I am giving up the control I thought I had and handing it to the One who had it all along: the Lord. When I stop fighting against the trials and challenges and just listen to the direction He sends me, a peace comes into situations that is just something that cannot be matched by anything of this world. 

Well, that all sounds great, but what if I am not praying in the right way? 

Even if I know HOW to pray, what if I do not know WHEN to pray? 

What if I cannot let go of the control? 

Even though I have dubbed myself as an Armchair Warrior because prayer is one thing I can still do to help those in my life, I do not have all the answers. I still find myself grappling for control. I shoot prayers Heavenward like arrows and hope they land. Occasionally though, I feel like I am growing strong and true in this habit. 

I started small, because that was all I knew how to do. I cried out during times of trouble. I spent more prayer time asking for things than seeking and listening. If you are like me, having a place to start and to build from is incredibly helpful. 

Did you know that the Hello Mornings Community has a free 31 day Family Prayer Calendar? Each day you are given a short prayer and corresponding Bible verse. This resource gives a starting point to grow into a beautiful habit of praying with love for those you love. As you build this habit, you will find that the who, when, where and how sort themselves out as opportunities to connect with the Lord become more obvious and if that isn’t just the most beautiful habit to have, I am not sure what is! 

If you’d like to join me in praying for the next 31 days, the Family Prayer Calendar is found here: https://community.hellomornings.org/c/resources/freebie-library. 

Jen is a small town, Oklahoma girl married to a superhero. Together, they are raising a family on second chances, shiplap, and a shoestring. She is a firm believer in grace, organization, and efficiency. She finds great satisfaction in taking broken items and giving them new life, likely because that is exactly what God did for her. She over uses the word shine, exclamation points, and emojis. She cheers too loud in the stands of her kids’ activities and hugs more than is socially acceptable. A natural born encourager and armchair warrior, she is learning to redefine her mission field and make the most of each day she is given. She has recently been promoted from breast cancer warrior to breast cancer survivor. She’s chronically ill and chronically positive- not necessarily in that order. She is learning to practice perseverance over perfection and longs for the day she gets to see her grandparents and Jesus’ face. Until then, she is just looking for Grace in the Grind.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash