A prayer when the future is uncertain
One of the things I often fear is the future, as the future is uncertain. I worry about what might happen, what could happen and what I will do if any of the scenarios I've imagined takes place. I play out these situations in my mind, like a disc set on repeat. I try to anticipate what will happen and plan for every possibility.
In our culture today, there is much uncertainty about the future. Fears often trigger other emotions, including despair and anger and much of it is played out on social media. In truth, there is much to fear in our lives and in our world. The unknown can seem dark and filled with danger, as the future is uncertain. We wonder if we can handle it. We wonder how we can endure. From our children's health to paying for college; from job security to who runs the country; from prayers unanswered to relationships under strain; we worry about what could happen and what we will do when it does.
David wrote, "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war breaks out against me, even then I will be confident"(Psalm 27:3). Psalm 27 is a song and a prayer of trusting God in the face of fears. We learn from this Psalm that our confidence is based on God's unending protection,"The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?" (vs. 1). True safety is found in God's presence, "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple" (vs. 4).
The ultimate fulfillment of this Psalm is found in Christ, the One who conquered our worst fears at the cross, and though the future is uncertain, I know in Jesus that everything will be okay.
He is our light and salvation. Because of Jesus, we can come into God's presence with confidence and hope. As Paul wrote in Romans, "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:31-32). If God sacrificed His own Son to save us from our sins, how would He not also be with us in the fears we face today?
Dear friend, whatever you fear this day, go before the throne of grace in confidence because Christ has made the way for you. Cry out to God, give Him your fears, worries and cares. Ask for salvation, rescue and deliverance. Instead of despairing over what could or might happen, run to the One who holds the world in the palm of His hand. Though the future is uncertain to you, it is not to God. Turn to the One who turns the hearts of kings (Proverbs 21:1). Rest in the One who doesn't let a sparrow fall from the sky unless He so wills it (Matthew 10:29). Find your peace in the knowledge that He is the Alpha and Omega, the One who knows the beginning and the end. Nothing in your future will surprise your God because it is all under His sovereign rule and care. And because you are His, all things will work toward your ultimate good (Romans 8:28).
A prayer for when the future is uncertain:
Father in Heaven,
I come before you with my stomach twisted in knots. My heart is pounding, my head hurts and I can't find any rest.
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