Prayer for the Wilderness Season of Life
Written by Heidi Vegh
Bible reading:
“All the ways of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalm 25:10
Listen or read below:
Is it the season of waiting? Are you wandering in the wilderness, not knowing how long you’ll be there? I can relate.
I have been through a long season of waiting, waiting for test results, waiting for financial help, waiting for my husband’s spiritual awakening, and waiting for God’s direction in certain areas. I don’t know if I should let something go or hold on tighter.
Seasons of waiting can leave you feeling discouraged and hopeless. We often feel like the Israelites walking around in circles, confused, not knowing what we should do. I’m waiting for the situation to change, but I don’t see any results. We are looking for direction but still feel lost.
But here’s a deep truth about wilderness seasons. That is, wilderness seasons are often where God does his best work.
Just because we don’t see God’s hand actively moving in our lives doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Things are moving. The season of waiting can be a place where we connect our hearts to Jesus and remind us that we are not alone and that God is working out the details.
We live in a microwave culture. We want what we want, and we want it now. We try to rush ahead to make things happen on our own timelines, but we often rush past God in pursuit of what our heart desires and miss what God is doing.
But the wilderness is a place of preparation. It’s not permanent. It is a season that God uses to grow you, change you, and draw you closer to Him.
The challenge is to walk through the wilderness with hope rather than a dissatisfied and impatient heart. If we grumble and complain as we go through difficult seasons, we can miss the deep inner work that God is trying to do in us.
A season of waiting requires a deep dependence on God. When we reach the limits of our independence and realize that we cannot control, achieve, or manipulate outcomes, we are drawn to something better.
We can experience Christ as truly in control.
God is strong and will not turn away from our weaknesses. God invites us to walk with him in the wilderness. He is not standing outside waiting for us to take action. He lives there with us. God gently guides us and forms in us a patience that we could never create on our own.
“Now we know what we have, Jesus, this great high priest who has instant access to God. Let’s not miss it… So let’s walk up to him and take what he’s ready to give us. Receive mercy and accept help.”
Hebrews 4:15-16 (Message)
Jesus sees our weaknesses as opportunities for His strength to be demonstrated (2 Corinthians 12:9).
In the wilderness, we are given the sweet gift of God’s presence and a depth of intimacy that is unavailable anywhere else.
“You recorded my every tossing and turning… every tear recorded in my ledger, every pain written in my book.”
Psalm 56:8 (Message)
So, be strong in this season of waiting. Jesus is with you and listens to every word in your heart. Don’t be afraid to be honest with the Lord and tell Him how you really feel.
Listen to everything Jesus has to say to you. pray. journal. Listen to worship music. Slow down and embrace the intimacy you have here.
Let’s pray:
main,
Walking in the wilderness is difficult. To be honest, I don’t like it. You feel lost and confused, like you’re wandering in circles looking for direction.
I feel within myself the tendency to complain, complain, bow my head and surrender to despair. But Lord, I don’t want to live like that.
I want to live for your glory, even if I don’t know which is better. I want to believe that you are working behind the scenes in ways that I cannot see or understand.
Try to open your mind and body this season. Create space within me to hear your voice in a way that no other way can. Help me to see this wilderness not as a punishment, but as an opportunity to draw closer to You, seek You, and listen.
Make up for the time you spent getting frustrated with waiting times. Restore what you felt was lost. Open my eyes to the small, silent ways in which you are moving and remind my soul that I am never alone.
Thank you for not leaving me alone to navigate this wilderness alone. Thank you for walking with me, guiding me, and gently guiding me.
And as I end this season, help me never forget what You have taught me here or how faithfully You have shown up.
In your precious name,
Amen
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Photo credit: Pexels/Katii Bishop
Heidi Vegg is an author, speaker, and ministry leader based in Western Washington. The remarried mother of four has lived a blended family life since losing her first husband to cancer in 2013. Through her writing and speaking, Heidi encourages those who have experienced loss, offering hope and practical guidance on the journey to healing and a new life.
She is the author of The Hard Journey to the Good: A Widow’s Journey from Loss to New Life, a heartfelt account of grief, faith, and rebuilding after devastating loss, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
You can find Heidi on her website mrsheidivegh.com. There, we share devotions and reflections on grief, healing, motherhood, faith, and the beauty and complexity of blended family life through a monthly newsletter. She holds degrees in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University, is a mission director at a local church, and is passionate about helping women grow in their faith and experience the transformative love of Jesus.
You can find her on Instagram @mrsheidivegh and SubStack: https://substack.com/@heidivegh.
Related resources: What to do when God seems far away
What do we do when God no longer feels as close as he used to?
Many sincere believers go through seasons when their prayers feel empty, their Bibles feel silent, and God feels mysteriously absent. Especially for leaders, these seasons can feel confusing, discouraging, and even embarrassing.
In this episode of the Unhurried Living podcast, Alan Fadling sits down with theologian and spiritual formation professor Kyle Strobel to discuss his new book, When God Seems Distant, co-written with John Coe. If this episode helps you focus your work and life on God, be sure to follow Unhurried Living on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode.
