Prayer for when you are in the wilderness
Jessica Van Lochel
Bible Reading:
“Do not remember the former, and do not consider the old; behold, I am doing something new. – Isaiah 43:18-19, ESV
Listen or read:
It is Midwest summer, and humidity rises faster than the sun. The farmland and grasslands soak water in the air while I sweat. The clouds helped me to make my morning walks acceptable. The Israelites wandered around the wilderness for 40 years after rescue from Egypt. Passing through the desert, they followed the pillars of clouds in the day and the pillars of fire in the night. God provided shade of burnt heat and warmth for chilly nights.
God chose Israel for his special position in His plan for salvation. They were spiritually blind, but God still had a future for them. Israel witnessed God’s plan of redemption and helped to reveal God’s plan to others in the world through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God, the Savior, the Most Holy Man, the Creator, and the King made a way in the sea, a way through the mighty sea, and saved his people from captivity.
Isaiah’s book holds so many great truths about his commitment to God and the Israelites. It also details the struggle Israel had in staying faithful to God and loving him in their whole heart. In this chapter of Isaiah’s writings, the Israelites were stuck in a desperate situation. In exile they were far from their homes and their spiritual roots, but through the prophet Isaiah God promised them to return to their homes and his heart. Between the prisoners and their return to Israel there were miles of wilderness. Holds within the pages of their history are the stories of God carrying His people through another wilderness. God cared for them with manna and sweet waters. Verses 16 and 17 call the Israelites and remind us of God’s work. If they do not remember, how can they remind them of God’s affection?
Isaiah warns the Israelites that if they remained stuck in disappointment they would miss their release from exile. If you remain trapped in failure, defeat, sin and disappointment in the past, you will not be able to move forward either. Verses 18 and 19 tell us to forget about the defeats of the past and proceed to what God has for us. God makes the way. He meets our needs and protects us. We may be concerned about the details of God’s promise, but he says, “Cut my hand, walk with me, trust me.”
Our sins and past failures can make us hang our heads in shame even after we repent and receive forgiveness. This shame can lead us into the wilderness of despair. But God does not remember the former, and is told to remember his forgiveness. Promise in Isaiah 41:18: “I will open the river to bare height, and a fountain in the middle of the valley. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and a spring of a dry land of water.” Even if God leads us into the desert, or we are stuck there for the choices we have made, we can still find comfort and hope when we look for new things that God is doing.
Let’s pray:
Holy God,
We find ourselves in the wilderness. We return hopelessly, and again. We are struggling with doubts about your goodness. Because something really bad happened. Help us remember you. Help me remember your kindness when the world wasn’t kind. Help us remember your loyalty, even if we lack loyalty. Help us not to feel the shame we endure from the mistakes and hurts we have made. But remind me of your forgiveness.
Don’t overlook the way we make it so that you don’t get caught up in a hopeless situation. Your path will lead us to peace and comfort. You make a path in the wilderness and we don’t want to miss it. Open our eyes to see you move. We are in the middle of our wilderness with our vision for the future (one of joy and growth) you have for us. Thank you for doing something new in our lives. Thank you for freeing us from the bond of shame and regret. Please fill our hearts with joy while we walk this wilderness road.
In the name of Jesus, Amen
Photo credit: ©istock/getty images plus/everste
Jessica Van Lochel loves the upside-down life of following Jesus as he travels through wholeness through what Jesus has broken. As an author, speaker and worship leader, she uses gifts and experiences to rescue, recover and renew God’s transformational powers. She longs to know that rejection does not have to define or determine your future when it is placed in God’s healing hands. Check out more at ReframingRejectionBook.com, where you can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
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